We All Have a Story to Tell
by GrayBlueSky
Summary: I found out the hard way that fairy tales and true love didn't exist. Love and magic didn't mix, and I had enough experiences to prove my point. This story begins with a girl who just when she thought things in her life could end in happily ever after, gets slapped in the face by cruel reality. This later leads her to him. And this is their story. My story.
1. Chapter 1

**We All Have a Story to Tell**

Chapter 1

 _Let me tell you a story about a girl and a boy trying to take on the world._

There's a quote by a man named James Fforde that says that love and magic are like oil and water- they just don't mix. And I completely agree with him. Some things just don't mix, love and magic are a perfect example, as well as he and I were.

Fairy tales say that love is a magical thing, and I once believed so too. My mother used to read me fairy tales at night, all ending in happily ever after. Those stories, however, didn't teach me what happened when your happily ever after completely crumbled in front of you, leaving you all alone to pick up the pieces. To say the truth, happily ever afters only exists in fairy tales. And I am done being a fool and believing otherwise.

My story begins during my first year of high school, when I met Lisanna Strauss. It was the first time I had ever gone to school with other students, for I had been home schooled before that. I had moved to Magnolia just that year and I didn't know a single person in town. I was the loner girl that for her first week of school ate the lunch her mother made for her all by herself in the bathroom stalls.

I met Lisanna in my physical education class my second week of school, when our instructor asked us to run the mile and I tripped and fell on the track field, scraping my palms and knees. I remember feeling tears gather in my eyes, threatening to fall as my cheeks reddened from the embarrassment. And that was when someone's shadow covered me from the sun. Her white running shoes were the first thing I saw through my blurry vision.

"Are you alright?" She crouched down beside me and smiled at me when I nodded without even sparing her a look. She giggled and took my bruised hands in hers. I looked up, surprised and found myself looking at a pretty blue eyed girl with short white hair. She smiled one of the widest and brightest smiles I had ever seen. "I'll take you to the infirmary." She stood up and then helped me up to my feet. "Let's go."

My eyes widened when I saw her smile at me again and tears spilled down my cheeks. She didn't notice at first, but she would when we'd get to the infirmary. She held my hand till we got there, my other hand busy rubbing my teary eyes.

"Thank you." I whispered. She giggled, saying that it was no problem.

That had marked the beginning of our friendship.

We began to hang out together after that. She introduced me to her other close friend, Juvia Loxar. The long, blue haired beauty with equally blue eyes was one of the most popular girls in school, but seemed to not like the attention she got. Lisanna, however, loved the attention and making new friends. She was one of the most sociable girls I had ever met.

A few months after we met, she decided she wanted to join the cheer team in school. She even begged me to join with her. But I told her I couldn't. I was terrified of the attention and of having others depend on me to do things right and not mess up in front of hundreds and thousands of other people. I just couldn't deal with that kind of pressure, though my mother and Lisanna thought otherwise.

My mother was a very supportive mother, always encouraging me to do my best and never give up on my dreams for the future. She was always there for me. I regret not always being there for her as she was there for me.

My father, on the other hand, was a very busy man who I only ever saw during the weekends. He busied himself with work and almost never was home. We weren't very close, with him barely ever being home, and with his stern personality, I was better off not getting to close to him. Mother said that if I tried, I would understand just how much of a loving man he was. She wanted to see us happy. She wanted to see us bond as daughter and father. And neither of us ever even tried to give her that. I am sure we both regret that the most.

My high school life seemed to get better and better as time passed during my freshmen year. Half way through the year I encountered by the hall one of the most popular and charming guys in school. Sting Eucliffe was one of the best basketball players in our school and the team captain for the freshmen basketball team.

I was walking down the hall when two girls, Angel Sorano and Minerva Orland, stepped in front of me and eyed me up and down, as if something must have been wrong with me, or at least the were looking for something to criticize me on that day. They had made it their daily goal to annoy me just for the fun of it. Their bullying was getting to my nerves but I never did anything about it, too scared to speak my mind out.

Angel's eyes had landed on the blue ribbon that tied my long, blonde hair up on a side ponytail. "You're wearing that childish ribbon again, Heartfilia." She stated with raised eyebrows and a mocking grin forming on her lips. Minerva hummed as she stared at it.

I had looked down, holding my textbook and notebook closer to my chest. "I like it." I mumbled. My mother had given me that ribbon, and it was like a good luck charm to me, I always had it with me.

Minerva snorted and stepped closer to me. She eyed it carefully and then looked back down at me. "You aren't a little kid anymore, Heartfilia. We're in high school now." Her hand came up to my head and she pulled on the blue ribbon, my long hair falling down to my lower back. My eyes widened when I saw the ribbon fall to the ground and Angel stepping on it. "Start acting like a highschooler." Minerva stated, looking back at me, my wide eyes still staring at my dirty ribbon.

Her last few words still echo in my head at times, "It's time you realize that life can't always be perfect and pretty."

She turned and left then but Angel watched me as I bent down and picked up my ribbon. I rubbed my eyes, not wanting to cry in front of her. I made it to move passed her and towards the bathroom to wash my ribbon but she pushed me, making me trip and fall. I wasn't able to stop the tears that ran down my cheeks after that. I could hear the steps of other students as they stopped around us.

"Your rich father can't help you out in everything, Heartfilia. Are you going to call him after this and ask him to take you away? Are you gonna ask mommy to kiss it all away?"

My hands tightened into fists then. I was done feeling less than everybody else. I was done being made fun of for who I was, for who my family was. Yes my father was a powerful man who seemed to grow money on trees, but he worked his ass for that money. My mother was a caring woman that did in fact spoil me to an extent, but it was only normal. I was her only daughter, her only child.

"I am not." I said through clenched teeth. "I am staying here and there is nothing that will make me run away."

Angel had smirked. "We'll see about that." She then walked passed me, making a few others follow her away. Little by little people started leaving me, walking away as if nothing had happened. Not one of them stepped up to me and offered to help me. That's when my hatred for most of the idiots in Magnolia High School began. I never told my friends about this, and now I wish I had. Maybe they would had helped me, maybe things would have probably turned out much different. But I didn't want them to get mixed up in my problems

Before I stood up and gathered my things, I saw someone else crouched down beside me. He gathered my books and picked up my dirty ribbon. "Angel can be a real bitch sometimes." He told me when I took my ribbon back from him.

He stood up, taking my books with him as he waited for me to get up as well. When we both stood he smiled at me. "All better?" He asked and I nodded, my cheeks already red from what had just happened. He nodded and handed me my textbooks. "I'm Sting Eucliffe by the way." He grinned.

And I smiled for the first time that day as I told him my name. "Well Lucy, you should keep your distance from Angel. She just likes the attention, so don't mind her too much."

I nodded and thanked him. Sting smiled down at me and patted my head. I tentatively smiled when his light blue eyes caught mine. My cheeks turned a deep shade of red at his next words. "You've got a beautiful smile."

That was the very first time a guy made me feel like there were butterflies in my stomach. He was my very first crush.

"Sting Eucliffe?" Lisanna had asked me, looking pretty ecstatic when I confessed who I liked. "Really, Lucy? That's great! You two blonds would make a beautiful couple!"

Juvia sighed, rolling her eyes at Lisanna's over excitement. I blushed, somewhat glad Lisanna seemed happy for me as well as supportive. We were sitting together in one of the many tables in the dining hall. Students sitting all around us, chatting away with their friends. As I looked around, my eyes landed on the very popular Sting Eucliffe and I quickly looked down once our eyes met. I slowly looked back up to find him still staring at me. He would then smile and wave at me. And every time this happened, I couldn't stop myself from smiling and waving back.

Lisanna scooted closer to me, whispering, "You know Lucy, I also like someone from the basketball team." My eyes widened at that.

"Who?" I asked, all to excited to find out who my friend liked.

"It's a secret." She winked and I pouted. At that moment I didn't know how important that information was. I should have known. She should have told me. But things didn't work out the way I would have wanted.

A few weeks later, while we sat at our usual table eating lunch, the rarest and craziest things I had ever seen happened. Two boys, both who were in our grade, came running inside the cafeteria naked. I don't think my face has ever been more red than it was that day. Lyon Bastia and his infamous step brother, Gray Fullbuster were the two crazy guys that decided to run around in their birthday suits one afternoon as the entire student population of Magnolia High ate their lunch. Lisanna had choked on her drink when they ran passed our table, Loke Celeste not far behind them videotaping the entire ordeal.

Juvia even seemed surprised, and she was one hard to break from her usual calm and collected attitude. The weirdest part, however, had been when Lyon stopped in front of our table and asked Juvia for her name. Until today, I have no idea how Juvia could just sit there and answer to his questions and continue the conversation while he was completely naked, standing just steps away from us.

It was after that day that we began to have new company at our table during lunch. Lyon and his friends, Gray and Loke, began to eat lunch with us on a daily bases. Lyon was trying his hardest to woo Juvia, and both Lisanna and I thought of him as one of the charmiest and dreamiest guys in school. Juvia, however, was harder to charm. It took her the entire rest of freshmen year to fall in love with the boy who ran around naked in public just to get her attention.

At the time, however, I didn't know that it had taken her so long because she used to have a crush on Lyon's step brother, Gray, who had rejected her back in middle school.

Lyon and Juvia started going out during the summer break before our sophomore year. This lead us to hang out with him and his new band mates, Gray, Loke and Gajeel Redfox, a guy who seemed a lot older than 16, with so many tattoos and piercings and a face that read 'fuck off.'

Their popularity grew and grew during that summer. They were truly amazing. Lyon, who played the guitar, and wrote many of the band's songs was pretty popular with the girls, and though Juvia always claimed it didn't bother her, I knew it did. She didn't like the attention he was getting, she didn't like how he was little by little changing. Loke, the womanizer of the band, played the base. Gajeel was the scariest looking in my opinion, he was tough to initiate a conversation with and always ignored you when you got close to him, but he was an amazing drummer, and was very dedicated to the band. Who knew all it would take to break his mean guy shell of an attitude would be a small bookworm girl with blue hair.

Gray Fullbuster was the lead guitarist and the lead singer of the band. The first time I ever heard him play I was completely mesmerized by his voice. The song hadn't been their usual rock style as Juvia had described to Lisanna and me. The beat had been slow and Gray's voice was low and smooth, and dare I say it, sexy. But that hadn't been what had made me want to never stop listening to him play. It had been the words. The song's lyrics, which I later found out he had written, were beautiful, heartbreaking even. And that night, while he sang that song with his eyes closed, when he sang the last verse, he opened the deepest blue eyes I had ever seen and they were looking straight at me. The perfect face focused solely at me, made me shiver a little.

I went to plenty more of their concerts after that one during our summer break. And a part of me fell in love with his voice.

It was during the beginning of our sophomore year that things started to get complicated.

We all still hanged out together, the guys becoming more and more popular amongst our school's female population. Loke was the one who enjoyed that the most. Gray claimed to not enjoy their clinginess, yet he came to lunch every week with a different girl. Gajeel ignored them all. Their popularity, however, also worsened Angel and Minerva's abuse, and even added a few more girls who claimed I wanted them all for myself.

"Gray is mine. Understood, Heartflilia?" I had nodded. And Angel had smirked. "Good."

They also bullied me when I was prescribed glasses. I was called names like nerd and loner and freak and even bookworm since I was always reading a different book. But I wasn't fazed by their words, I knew who I was and I wasn't planning to change for them. After all, I had a mother who loved me for who I was and friends who accepted me as well.

Lyon and Juvia were one of the most popular couples in school. Rumors came and went, but they stayed strong through it all, they were inseparable. That was until Lyon joined in Gray in smoking, getting high, and drinking at parties every weekend.

Juvia blamed Gray, claiming that he was influencing his brother to do what he was doing. But Gray stated that Lyon was no kid and knew what he was getting into. This almost made Juvia break up with Lyon but they worked things out and stayed together, Lyon ending the drug use and drinking habit, but never quite being able to stop smoking.

It was months after that, during our second semester of our sophomore year, that I noticed the way Gray looked at Juvia. He didn't look at her how he looked at Lisanna or me, or even his best friend, Cana, who sometimes hanged out with us. He looked at her with care, and warmth, and even love, much like Lyon looked at her. And that's when I realized why he had been so hurt when she had blamed him for Lyon's actions. He liked her. Or maybe even loved her.

I wasn't very close to him back then, so I wasn't able to help him, even though I was probably the only person who knew how he felt. I regret not sparing him from heartbreak. I guess I regret a lot of things. But what would life be without regrets?

During that same year Lisanna and I began going to almost every basketball game at school, sometimes she cheered sometimes she didn't, and when she didn't we would sit together, cheering for our team. She said the guy she liked was just as good as Sting, but she would never tell me which one, they were all good in my opinion so it wasn't easy to narrow it down by just that.

It would soon be the championship game and I was planning to confess to Sting. I had had that crush for him for longer than a year, it was time I confessed my feelings for him. I wanted him to know how I felt.

I had thought of writing him a love letter, as cheesy as that may sound, but Lisanna said it would be better if I did it face to face. Juvia, however, didn't like the idea of me confessing at all. She thought he was a jerk and wouldn't respond the way I would want. He would not be gentle. Juvia couldn't have been more right.

But I had chosen to listen to Lisanna. And I confessed right after the championship game, which they had barely won, by one point. And it hadn't been thanks to Sting, but by another pink haired player.

I had waited by the locker rooms, watching as they all walked out, except Sting. It was getting dark when he finally walked out.

"Lucy?" He had asked, clearly surprised to see me there. I smiled, holding tightly onto the ends of my deep blue uniform skirt.

"Sting, there is something I've been meaning to tell you." He raised an eyebrow, as if not understanding what I could possibly mean by that.

And then I said it. "I like you Sting." We stood there without saying anything for a long while until finally he broke the silence and spared me the torture to continue waiting there.

But his response was everything but what I had expected. He started laughing! And there was nothing more I wanted to do just then but cry. There was a huge knot on my throat as I watched him clean tears from his eyes.

"Are you for real?" My eyes were wide as I stared at him. Hadn't I been clear enough?

I only nodded.

He laughed again, and this time I did start crying. Tears running down my cheeks as my hands fell by my sides.

"The bookworm has a crush on me." He was saying between laughs and my hands slowly came up to cover my mouth so he wouldn't hear me muffle my cries.

"Oh Lucy, I think you've got the wrong idea. I don't like you. I just helped you once and that was it. I felt sorry for you and I helped you. But I would never fall for the school's bookworm."

I couldn't take more of him and his words so I turned and ran as far away from him as I could. Tears blurred my eyes, making it difficult for me to see where I was going. I stumbled a couple times, falling by the school halls and picking myself up and continuing to run. I didn't want to stop, I wanted to be away from that school. I had been humiliated all too much. Why were they doing this to me? What had I done to them?

I rubbed my eyes as ran down the stairs that led down the exit of Magnolia High School. And as I did I bumped into someone's hard chest. I quickly looked up to find black eyes looking down at me. I tried to step aside and continue my run but he grabbed onto my arm before I could escape.

"Hey, are you alright?" I looked back to see the concern in his eyes. I didn't know him, but his pink hair seemed familiar. He was the guy that had scored the winning points. Somehow his eyes emitted some kind of warmth that reached me and made me want to open up to him.

"No, I'm not, not at all." I confessed, tears already covering my cheeks.

His gaze turned hard and he pulled me toward him, wrapping his long and strong arms around me. "Don't worry. Everything's going to get better, I promise." He whispered. And I don't know why, but I believed him.

We became friends after that. Natsu Dragneel was also a basketball player. It was his passion, he told me. He had played since he was a little boy. We got to know one another for the last few months of our second year, and it was during our summer break that we became best friends. He started hanging out with some of my friends, becoming quite close to Gajeel in particular. Which was quite rare. Gajeel was only close to Gray. Natsu and Lisanna had been best friends when they were younger. Natsu told me all kinds of stories about when they were little, and he never disappointed with the laughter. He had me laughing and forgetting all my problems. He made me feel great. But things weren't so easy.

He and Lisanna apparently had a complicated relationship. Lisanna didn't really like hanging out with him. So I had to hang out with them separately.

By the end of my summer break I had forgotten all about Sting. The memories of his cruel rejection remained but I didn't have constant thoughts about it. It was also during that summer vacation that my mother started getting very sick. What seemed to be a harmless fever only continued to worsen. And just when we thought she'd get better, she only got worse.

Natsu stood by my side through the entire thing. He went with me to the hospital when my mother was moved there a couple times, he came home and helped me tend her. Lisanna did as well, and even Juvia did, but not as much as Natsu.

By the beginning of my junior year my mother seemed to finally get better, and the tests would soon be finished and we would know what she had. For now she could stay home and rest. My father stayed with her when I had to go back to school, worried for her state and not wanting her to be alone.

Everything was starting to get better, at least I thought so.

The band continued to grow in popularity, which was a good thing for the guys, but not for Juvia. Her relationship with Lyon only continued to get tested, and she even asked for a break after a while. So they took a break.

Gray and Juvia became much closer after that, and I knew that wasn't a good thing, for he held feelings for her. But I didn't do anything, I had enough on my plate.

Natsu and I were becoming closer too. And I felt special with him. I wanted to be with him. So when he asked me out, I said yes. But this only complicated my relationship with Lisanna. She started avoiding me, always making up excuses to why she couldn't hang out with me.

I later found out she had a boyfriend, Bickslow. He was a year older than us. I thought at the time that maybe she couldn't hang out with me because of him. So I didn't mind it too much. What a mistake had I made.

The band was a mess. Lyon and Juvia clearly wanted to be together, but neither of them made a move to get back together. Gray had feelings for Juvia but was instead dating his best friend Cana. And Loke and Gajeel were just going around with it.

Lisanna was only hanging out with Juvia and Bicklsow, and every time I tried to talk to them, they either ignored me or made up an excuse to not hang out with me.

So in the end I only had Natsu.

But even he couldn't always hang out with me, he had other friends, and he had basketball. So the school's library became my best friend. I read all types of books during my third year. I even re-read some fairy tales my mother had read to me as a child.

And it was on the same day my mother's test results arrived that I sat at the library wishing for my life to end with a happily ever after, as it seemed to happen in all the stories I had read.

But my happily ever after never came.

My mother was diagnosed with advanced leukemia and was expected to live less than six months.

The news had crushed me. I felt like it was all a very bad dream, that I would wake up and find my smiling and bright mother sitting there telling me everything was okay and she would be with me for a very long time. But it wasn't a dream, I wasn't so lucky. My mother was dying and she was suffering. She wanted to live, but things weren't going in our favor.

I remember staying one night with her at the hospital, she had been holding my hand. We were both quietly sitting there, just enjoying each others company. There was so much I wanted to talk to her about, so much we had to talk about before we were separated. We were supposed to have years and years together. She was supposed to see me walk down the aisle wearing a white dress at the alter! She was supposed to be there to encourage me until I reached all my goals! We weren't supposed to be ripped apart so soon! I needed her…

I didn't know when I started crying, I just felt her cold finger cleaning away my tears and snapped out of it. My chocolate brown eyes landed on equally dark brown eyes. "I am always going to be with you, Lucy. Always." Tears spilled down my eyes as I saw her smile at me. I didn't want her to leave me. I didn't want to stop seeing her, having her by my side.

"I love you, mama." I whispered and she smiled, tears gathering on the corners of her eyes.

"I love you too, Lucy." We hugged for what felt like hours and only separated when Natsu knocked on the door, walking in with a coffee for me and another for himself. We spent the night with my mother at the hospital, Natsu distracting us both by making us laugh.

A few weeks later Lisanna and the others surprised me when they came to the hospital. Juvia and Lisanna where the first to come see my mother, they had both already met her, and my mother was more than happy to see them. She even had a small talk with Juvia while Lisanna and I went to get a muffin. When we came back Juvia was crying, something I never thought seeing. She had stood up after we had walked in and excused herself, saying she needed to talk to Lyon. My mother never told me what they had talked about. But she was certain things between them would work out in the end.

My relationship with Natsu continued to get better with time, even with my mother's condition things between us didn't get complicated. He was supportive, and I guess that was the reason why I fell for him. He was my support and I needed him.

My mother and Natsu became close during her last few months, but my mother never told me she liked him for me. Instead said he was a very charming boy that could be a very good friend. She, however, did noticed the weird relationship between him and Lisanna. But I didn't mind it at the time, and told her not to either. I had been happy, stupidly thinking they were making up and going back to being friends again.

I only once questioned him about his meetings with Lisanna. We had been sitting outside the hospital while my father spent some alone time with my mother. I had rested my head on his shoulder and he had held onto my hand as I watched the cherry blossom tree above us. "What's up with you and Lisanna?"

He had tensed up, but I disregarded the action. I looked up at him and he looked away. "Nothing." I raised an eyebrow, not believing him.

"Nothing?" I questioned.

He looked down at me and smiled, making my chest warm. That smile of his always had my stomach doing summersaults. "There's nothing going on, Lucy. We're just spending some time together and reliving the past. You know, things between us could finally get better. Not be so complicated." He shrugged and I smiled.

He bent down and kissed my forehead. "Don't worry. Okay?" I nodded. But I should have been worrying. Only I had more important things to worry about.

Later that same week I was surprised to see Gray waiting for me at the hospital. I could say we were friends, but not this close. Not so close for him to come visit my mother.

"I heard from Juvia and Lisanna that she's a great woman." He smiled. And then he looked down. "I know what you're going through. I went through this with my mother."

I looked up at Gray, surprised. This was the first time he had ever opened up to me. The first time of many to come.

He smiled, his warm blue eyes finding my brown eyes. He held my gaze and then held onto my hand and gave a comforting squeeze before I thanked him and lead him towards my mother's room.

I had told my mother about Gray and his band so she had known who he was. She had been so excited to hear him sing that I even cried when Gray did eventually sing her a song, the same song that had made me fall for his voice.

Before he left, my mother held onto his hand, and to my surprise, asked him to take care of me. Something she hadn't yet even asked Natsu. Gray surprised me even more when he looked over at me and said without breaking eye contact, "I promise I will, Mrs. Heartfilia."

He looked down at her again and smiled the sweetest of smiles, making my heartbeats thump at a faster rate.

My mother smiled. "Oh, no. You can call me Layla." She grinned, as did Gray.

"Then I promise I'll take good care of your daughter, Layla."

After long six months of suffering, my mother passed away just as I had ended my junior year of high school. It had been raining that day, Natsu and I were out on a date, drinking coffee, smiling, laughing, without a clue in the world that my mother had been taking her last few breaths at that same time.

My father had called me, only telling me to come to the hospital, but deep down I knew something wasn't right. I had dropped my cellphone, Natsu asking what was wrong. And then I dropped to the ground, covering my face with my hands, begging God that I was just imagining things and that my mother was going to be there, sitting up on her bed, smiling at me when I arrived at the hospital. But she wasn't. I didn't see her smiling face ever again.

I cried all night, Natsu begging me to come inside as I sat outside at a park near the hospital, rain drenching my clothes and hair, my lips turning purple from the cold.

I didn't eat in weeks nor did I leave my room. It was a month after her death that my father walked inside my bedroom and sat beside me on my bed. My red eyes, which were tired from all the crying and were begging for some needed sleep, looked over at him. He pursed his lips and sighed before patting my head.

"She wouldn't want you to be like this right now." He stated and then he hugged me, and completely took me by surprise. He hadn't hugged me since I was a little girl.

I hugged him back, crying onto his shirt. My cries were muffled as I buried my head on his chest.

We sat there for a while, talking about my mother, remembering all our precious memories with her, laughing together, crying together.

"She left this for you." He told me, handing me an envelope. "She wants you to read it when you feel it's the right time. This will help you when you feel most lost. At least that's what she told me." He smiled and kissed my forehead before he stood up and left my room.

There were more than ten letters inside the envelope, but I only read half of them, as they were instructed to be read at certain moments. The ones I did read asked me to be happy, to live each day as if it were my last, to not be deceived, to love, to not let others make me feel less than them, to stand up for myself, and to be strong.

So I stood up, took a shower, slept an entire day, and replied to all the messages my friends had sent. Natsu took me out first, wanting to distract me from feeling depressed again. But his form of distraction drastically changed when he implied wanting to move our relationship to another stage I wasn't at all ready for. I had stopped him before I did something I would later regret. He wasn't all too happy about that but claimed to understand and promised to wait until I was ready to take the next step in our relationship.

We stopped hanging out as much after that. Instead I spent most of my time with Juvia. She was excited to start things over with Lyon and apparently he would ask her out again at a party that Laxus Dreyar, whose grandfather was Magnolia High's principal, would be having the weekend before we began our last year of high school.

Gray also asked me to go out to one of the band's concerts. And I did. I think that was when I felt like I could finally move on with my life. It gave me hope for the future. But things just crumbled after that. For both of us. Little did we know at that moment, that that would be the band's last concert for a long time. And he would be responsible for that.

Lisanna had gone back to ignoring me, and I couldn't understand why. I later found out by Cana Alberona, Gray's best friend an ex girlfriend, that she had broken up with Bickslow. I tried calling her, to see how she was doing, but would always get sent to voicemail.

I finally heard from Natsu a day before the party. He wanted to go together and would pick me up at seven the next day.

We made it there around eight, Natsu holding my hand tightly as we stepped out of the car and towards the Dreyar residence. There were plenty of people there already. I wasn't much of a party girl, and felt a little overwhelmed as more and more people arrived. I held tightly onto Natsu and he smiled, giving me a peck on the lips before he took a beer from Gajeel, who also offered me one but I shook my head no, I hated the smell of beer, so I couldn't imagine it tasting any better than it smelled.

I had seen Gray then, he was talking with Juvia, and it seemed like they were arguing, they later stepped out of the house. Gajeel had watched as well, and he raised an eyebrow at me, probably asking if I knew what was going on, but I shook my head. I could only guess that Juvia already knew how Gray felt about her.

I later saw Lisanna, she was looking my way, and I tried waving at her, but she looked away and walked up to the second floor.

The loud music, the smell of alcohol, and the smell of smoke were making me dizzy so I excused myself and told Natsu I would go to the bathroom. He nodded, bending down to get another beer. I sighed and walked to a bathroom near the kitchen.

I walked in and turned the lights on and felt my eyes go blurry as they adjusted to the bright lights. I fixed my hair, re doing my side pony tail and tying it with my blue ribbon. I pulled down my short, black dress a little, feeling self conscious. I had done my makeup, but I still didn't feel pretty enough. Maybe it was the glasses or maybe it was because I looked a bit too childish. But Natsu liked me this way, right? He wouldn't be going out with me if it were otherwise. At least that was what I thought.

I stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to where I had left Natsu, but I only found Gajeel, now with Loke.

"Where's Natsu?!" I yelled over the music, barely hearing myself. Gajeel only pointed to the second floor. I nodded and thanked him before I made my way upstairs. The music was just as loud upstairs, but there were a lot less people.

There were a couple of doors, one was opened, a group of people playing a game of strip poker in there, and I recognized one as Cana, already only wearing her underwear.

A couple had just entered the next room. So that just left one more room. He wasn't anywhere else, so I opened the door without thinking twice. Oh, how I wish I had re considered my actions. What I saw inside that room was something I would have never wanted to see.

A naked Lisanna was lying under an equally naked Natsu. The girl I considered my best friend and my boyfriend were having sex. My best friend and my boyfriend….They were doing it… He was cheating on me with Lisanna. Of all the girls, of all the guys… They were the worst! My wide eyes looked away, not wanting to see anymore of that.

"Lucy! Wait!" I heard Natsu yell, but I closed the door before anything else happened and ran down the staircase leading to the first floor. I made my way to the nearest bathroom and emptied my stomach. I felt sick. I felt used. I felt like a complete idiot. I found out the hard way that fairytales didn't exist.

I exited the bathroom and when I walked passed Loke and Gajeel I took the cold beer Loke had been holding and excited the house.

My legs finally gave up on me a few yards away from the party. At first I didn't cry, I just sat there, staring at my feet, and then I watched as tears dropped onto them. I held onto the cold beer, not knowing why I had taken it from Loke, I wasn't going to drink it, that just wasn't me.

I hated them. I hated them for doing this to me. And as I sat there, I realized that the guy Lisanna had talked about during our freshmen year had been Natsu. She liked Natsu… But why hadn't she said something to me?! Why did she instead leave me in the dark and later sleep with Natsu while I was still dating him? She was the worst! I stood up, knowing that if I stayed there Natsu and Lisanna would find me and would try to explain everything to me. The last thing I had wanted at that moment was to see them or listen to them.

I walked towards a nearby park, watching as a couple of kids were pulled away from the swings as their parents called it a night. I looked down at my phone, seeing that it was barely ten. Just three hours ago everything had been going out just find, Natsu and I were still together, and he wasn't cheating on me with Lisanna… Or was he? I shook my head, not wanting to think about them any more.

I sat down at the now empty swings. I sat there for a while, staring up at the stars, tears every now and then falling down my cheeks.

It was around thirty minutes later that I saw another shadow take a seat on the swing beside mine.

"You were the last person I'd have expected to find here all alone."

I looked over to see Gray beside me, a frown taking form on his lips as he stared up at the stars. "Life sucks sometimes." He mumbled, and I found myself nodding at his words.

"Indeed." I whispered. He looked over at me, raising an eyebrow. Before he could ask me anything I mumbled, "I won't spill anything before you do."

He sighed and looked down at his black combat boots. "I confessed to Juvia." He straightened his legs out and looked at the star filled night. "I'm an idiot. Out of all the girls in the world, I fall for the one girl I can't have. I mean, for God's sake, she's my brother's girl!"

He stopped the swing and cursed under his breath. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

My eyes widened and then softened when he smiled and looked down, "I am aren't I?" He repeated.

I shook my head, "No." I stated, loud and clear. He looked up, surprised by my answer. "You're not a horrible person, Gray." I smiled at him. "Falling in love is not a crime. It's just something that happens, and you can't really prevent it." I handed him the beer I had taken from Loke and he nodded, and I knew that was his way of saying thank you.

"Have you been in love?" He suddenly asked and I shook my head. He raised an eyebrow at this, probably thinking I would have said yes since I was dating Natsu.

"I thought I might have been, but I realized I was foolish for believing in love in the first place. Love only brings heartbreak." I stretch my legs in front of me, and smiled at myself, happy to realize that at least I hadn't fallen for that asshole.

Gray nodded, raising his beer as he said, "Cheers to that." I laughed and nodded. He took a drink and then handed it to me. "One drink won't hurt." He told me and I took it. I had just seen my best friend and boyfriend in a very compromising situation, I mean for God's sake, a drink should have been without question.

I took a drink and immediately winced at the taste. I gave it back to Gray and he laughed. "Easy, Lucy, don't chug it all." I glared at him and he smirked. "So…" He started. "Did something happen between you and Natsu?"

I looked down at my feet, and then looked over at him and nodded. "He cheated on me." I didn't elaborate, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

Gray stood up, his fists tightening at his sides. "That asshole did what?!" I hadn't ever seen Gray act this way and stopped my swing, standing up and holding onto his fists.

"Gray… It's… well it's not alright. But I mean, I rather know now then later. This way… this way I'll at least be glad it wasn't later when I had already fallen in love with him." I don't know when I started crying but Gray unfisted his fists and pulled me over to him, hugging me.

"I won't let another asshole do this to yo ever again, Lucy." I buried my face on his chest, too embarrassed to let him see me like this. He dropped his head onto my shoulder and whispered, "I have a promise I have to keep." And my sobs were muffled by his leader jacket, which he later placed over my shoulders as he drove me home.

Later that night, as I cried in bed, I was met with the realization that I had had feelings for Natsu. And I didn't sleep at all that night.

I don't believe in love.

I did once. But life had cruel ways to show me that love can only last so long before it is ripped away from you. Love just isn't worth the pain you feel.

Gray seemed to agree with me.

I didn't know when I met him that we would become so close, a close friendship with him never once crossed my mind. And though I didn't believe so before, we are more similar than one would believe.

We all have a story to tell. And this is mine.

 _Will I end up happy?_

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey everyone! Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter :D I came up with this story after I read another GrayLu fic here by the author IceKeys121 called Total Opposites, but she deleted all of her stories not too long ago, so I asked her if I could use some of her story ideas for mine and she agreed. If any of you read Total Opposites than you probably noticed that it has almost nothing to do with it, but it I did use some things that are the same.**

 **I know this chapter seemed to go a little fast passed but that's only because it's seting they story for the next chapter, in which I'll start to focus on the main story plot.**

 **Well, thanks for reading!**

 **Until next chapter! Please tell me what you thought of the first chapter ;)**

 **Main song for this story will be Happily Ever After by He is We**

 **Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is owned by Hiromashima!**

 **Blue**


	2. Chapter 2

We All Have a Story to Tell

Chapter 2

 _Now the funny thing about, ain't a story without it, but the story is mine._

Two months had passed. Two months since my mother died. And one month since Natsu cheated on me with Lisanna. These two months had been the longest months of my life.

Plenty of things had changed. For starters, I wasn't friends with Lisanna anymore, and I, of course, had ended my relationship with Natsu. It had been a very awkward thing. He had come looking for me, but I had not walked out of my room to meet him. Instead I heard as he stood right outside my bedroom door, begging me to open the door, to let him explain himself. But I didn't want to hear any of his excuses. I had seen enough. I didn't need any more proof or explanations.

Lisanna only called me once. But I didn't pick up. I did, however, listen to the message she left me. She told me she was sorry, but she had had feelings for Natsu for a very long time and couldn't stop herself, even when she knew he was dating me. He didn't want to break up with me, since my mother had just died, and she couldn't wait until he finally broke up with me. I don't think I have ever rolled my eyes so much at a voice message. This girl had been my best friend? She was a bitch! Excuse my language, but she was. Her actions had no excuses.

Of course, after all of this I ended up with no friends. Juvia was Lisanna's friend, and would of course defend her instead. Lyon and his band mates weren't really my friends, but more so Juvia's. And, well, Gray, he and I, well, I didn't know what our relationship was. I guess we were just two people who had experienced heartbreak on the same night, two people who knew what it felt like to lose a mother, or maybe just two people with a very crappy life.

That summer, after that party, I didn't see Gray again. I only heard of him through social media. Apparently his band had broken up. And it seemed everyone was saying it was because of him. I could only guess he had told Lyon how he felt about Juvia. Or he felt too guilty to continue the band with his stepbrother, the stepbrother whose girlfriend he had fallen in love with.

And just as the beginning of my senior year was around the corner, I hit a stage in my life in which I couldn't even get up from bed. I felt sick and tired. I now know it was depression. But before I just thought I was very ill, as did my father.

So, I didn't attend my first month of my last year of high school. Instead I stayed home for the entire month. I had the entire Heartfilia residence all to myself. Which was humongous. It was a mansion with three floors, one huge living room, two dining rooms, my father's huge office, my own small library my mother had set up for me, six bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a kitchen, and a garden that went on for about another ten yards. Usually, though huge, it always seemed bright and alive. It was mostly because of my mother. She loved walking around this massive home. And even though the house was almost always full of people, I hardly ever saw my father. Even after my mother's death, my father and I didn't really get a chance to talk or to even see each other. He spent most of his time working. He left to more business trips than he ever did before. He was hardly ever home, and when he was home, he spent his time in his office.

The month I spent wandering the Heartfillia residence I was accompanied by the cooks and housemaids, gardeners and butlers, so the house never did seem like it was too big for just my father and me. Yet without her, it just didn't feel right to continue living there. But my father never even considered selling it, for my mother had chosen it and didn't want to get rid of it.

Things didn't go smoothly for me during that month. I had had a lost of appetite, and didn't eat much. I also experienced depression, and didn't go out of my room much, only to use the bathroom. It was half way through that month that one of the maids finally pulled me out of bed and took me outside to take a walk. I had barely been able to open my eyes as I stepped out. The sun was too bright and my eyes had not been exposed to such brightness in a very long time. But it had been, to a certain extent, a very refreshing experience. I wanted to be as far away of all the darkness that surrounded me.

After that, that same maid continued to take me out for what she called, "Our daily stroll." But that hadn't lessened my depression, my constant claims to feel sick, or my loss of appetite.

I was lonely. I had lost my mother. My father didn't pay much attention to me. I didn't have any other family members. My boyfriend had cheated on me with my best friend. My other friends, who weren't really my friends, didn't talk to me anymore. And the only boy I had felt connected to was having problems of his own.

I was alone. I had nobody. And I didn't feel like trying anymore. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to be with mother. That's all I wanted. I was done with this horrible life. What purpose did it have? What purpose did I have? My future was hopeless. I was dissatisfied with my life. I felt guilty all the time for my mother's death. I blamed myself. I blamed my father. But deep down I knew there wasn't much we could have done to save her. And I of course knew we hadn't been the cause of her sickness, yet I felt guilty. I also blamed myself for what Natsu and Lisanna did to me. Maybe if I had been a better girlfriend… A better friend… But how had it been my fault? It wasn't. But I still blamed myself.

And then darker thoughts clouded my mind. I wanted to kill myself. And one day, as I sat outside with the housemaid that walked with me everyday, I looked up at the clear blue sky and whispered, "I'd kill myself if I had the chance."

The housemaid looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Did you say something, Miss Heartfilia?" I shook my head, my throat hurting too much to answer.

I spent a lot of my time in my bedroom. Most of that time I spent it using my laptop, checking social media. But that had been a mistake. Just as rumors about Gray's band were going around, so were the rumors about what had happened at the party with Natsu and Lisanna. And it seemed most guys saw Natsu as a hero. He had slept with one of the hottest cheerleaders in school, and guys apparently were jealous and thought he was so lucky. I had frowned at that. If Lisanna was a trophy, was I the garbage he had thrown out after using and not wanting anymore? That had been what I had thought. It had seemed so. But girls aren't trophies nor are they something guys can use and then throw away when they feel ready to move on with the next girl.

The girls had fawned over the cute couple, and even commented that they had known they had the "hots" for each other. But not in one single comment had anyone said anything about me. Of how wrong it was. Of how it must have sucked for me. No. No one said anything. Instead guys congratulated Natsu on stepping up his game and finally leaving me. That had stung. And more so when he didn't answer back to defend me. Not him, not Lisanna, not even Juvia.

But of course, instead of anyone feeling bad for me, they made fun of me. Girls like Angel and Minerva, and plenty of others, made rumors that I probably hadn't gone to school because of what had happened. They thought I was ashamed. That I was scared. I was. But did they really have to make fun of me? Had any of them been cheated on? Had their best friends ever done something to them like that? Had they ever lost all their friends over night? Had they ever felt as lonely as I felt? Maybe. But none of them would ever admit it. They would rather stand there and make fun of my misfortunes and claim to live a perfect life without flaws. None of us are perfect. None of us are innocent. We've all been through something that has changed us. I had. And my innocence had banished. I wasn't perfect. Not even close. I had flaws. And I accepted them. But back then, I just couldn't stand those flaws. I couldn't stand the girl that looked back at me in the mirror. I repulsed her.

I stood in front of the mirror in my bathroom, staring at myself with a blank expression. Brown, dull eyes looked back at me with disgust. What had happened to me? How had I changed so much from the sweet, innocent, and pretty girl my mother loved? I let the towel that covered my body slide down to the floor. I stared at my naked body in the mirror. I instinctively moved to cover it, ashamed by what I saw. My hands had been shaking. I bit my lip as I slowly turned to look at my body again. My arms and legs were scrawny, they were way too thin, to the point where I looked sick. My curbs were long gone, I was all bone. My bony fingers traced my colorless lips and then touched my cheeks, or what was left of them. What my mother used to call "chubby cheeks" were now long lost. I felt weak, I felt small, I felt powerless. I was tired. And that small body of mine couldn't stand right anymore, I was done staring at that reflection. I was done looking at the girl I had become. The girl I had let myself become. So I let my body slide down to the cold bathroom tile.

I used to be able to cry, but back then, I couldn't even though I wanted to.

I continued checking social media websites where I could see what people from school had been posting. I was stupid. Why had I cared so much what they thought? But I did. I cared about what they had to say about me. And they all had plenty to say. Apparently I was now a prude. A prude and a nerdy bookworm. Natsu had talked to his friends. He had told them about what had happened between us. He had told them that I had said I wasn't ready to take our relationship to the next level. But he sure was ready to move in that direction with Lisanna, while he was still dating me. And of course, he didn't miss from telling them that I was a virgin. A virgin who didn't feel quite ready to have sex yet. I was a seventeen year old virgin, which some people would think that it wasn't such a weird or bad thing, but these people made fun of me for it.

I didn't trust anyone anymore. I didn't believe in promises anymore.

"She's probably going to wait until she gets married," I read Angel's comments. Minerva seemed to agree. "But what if she never gets married? Will she just die a virgin? Lol. She probably will."

I closed my laptop and laid in bed staring at my ceiling. They didn't have a life. I should have not even felt bad about their cruel comments, instead I should have felt bad for them, for their sad excuse of a life. But back then I was young and stupid, I was a teenager that cared too much about what others thought about me. Like most teenagers do.

Sometimes at night I took walks around the Heartfilia residence, and almost always found myself at the library. I would spend all night reading books, and sometimes even woke up with an opened and unfinished book beside my face.

I tried to escape what was happening in my life through literature. Reading became a sort of refuge for me. But even that wasn't strong enough to erase my desires to end everything and finally join my mother. I wanted to see her again. I needed the warmth of her arms. I needed to see her smile again. I wanted to be enveloped in her arms, I wanted her to tell me she loved me, that she will always be there for me.

I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to stop thinking. To forget. To see her again.

And it was during one of my many walks around my huge home that I walked up to the third floor and stepped out onto the balcony. The cool summer wind caused my cream- colored cotton empire waist straps long nightgown to blow slightly with the breeze. The cold floor sent a shiver through my body as my right foot left the comfort of the warm carpet inside and stepped onto the stone floor of the balcony. However, I was soon warmed up again as I felt the warm summer night air whirl around me. My small feet continued moving until I finally reached the stone railing of the balcony. I placed my small, cold hands on the stone railing and peered over.

I was met with darkness. It was dark and deathly silent outside. The trees were gently blowing in the night breeze. I looked up at the night sky and smiled. I was standing under the moonlight, my cold feet tippy- toeing as I crossed my arms over the stone railing and laid my head over them. I looked at the bright moonlight and then closed my eyes. My long blonde hair flowed freely in the night breeze as silence wrapped around me like a warm feathered blanket. I opened my eyes again, only to notice how beautiful the star filled night looked.

And as I stood there, one thought crossed my mind. I could so easily jump off from here, I could finally end all of this. I could finally join her. I could finally see her again. Nobody was here to stop me. I could do it. And I was going to. I really was. But I didn't. I couldn't. For something beautiful caught my eyes. Had it been a falling star? Or had it just been my imagination? Was my vision playing tricks on me?

 _Show me it's alright. Give me a reason._

No. It happened again. And it had been clearer. Was this a meteor shower? I had guessed it was, and a wide smile, the widest I had smiled in a very long time, took form on my cold lips. They hadn't come all at once, and they hadn't hanged in the air. Just a sudden streak of light as it burned up to ash in the atmosphere. The shooting stars had been the brightest in the midst of their flight; in less than a second they caught fire, flared to life, and died away like an ember, dashing across the sky. I couldn't turn my eyes away.

I had slowly sunk to the floor. I had started to get chilled from standing for so long outside on the balcony, yet moving away from the celestial display to go grab something to cover myself up with seemed impossible. I didn't want to miss any of them. I wanted to wish upon a shooting star. Yeah, it sounds a little, or maybe a lo, childish, but I had needed something to make me feel better, and that had been just about the best thing that had happened to me in a long time.

So I just sat there, with my arms around my knees, and my neck craned up at the heavens. A flash. A quick streak of radiance. Another star fell to its death. Yet to die so spectacularly, in a blaze of light, it just about amazed me. Such a silent beauty had held me mesmerized. And just when I thought the meteor shower had ended, another shooting star fell, and this time I stood up, closed me eyes, and held my hands near my heart as I made a wish upon a shooting star.

 _Mama._

 _Tell me don't give up. Please tell me there's someone out there. Give me a pure love. Give me a forever. Show me it's okay. Give me a sign._

My intertwined hands came up to my chin as I whispered, "Happiness."

I had wished upon a shooting star.

I had wished for happiness.

I opened my eyes and a single tear slid down my left cheek. My eyes widened as I felt the hot tear travel down to my chin, falling onto my hands and my long, skinny fingers reached my cheek to clean the tear that had just escaped. And as I walked up to the stone railing, all thoughts that I had once had about jumping off, of ending my life, suddenly disappeared. I wanted to live. I wanted to see what life had in store for me. If I had to continue going through hardships to reach my happy ending, than I would bare them. They would all be worth it in the end.

I was shivering once I got to my room, for more reasons than just the cold. I couldn't sleep that night, and instead opened my laptop and recorded what had happened that night. I didn't ever want to forget what I had felt when I saw those shooting stars. I wanted a reason, proof, to keep me from wanting to end this life. Life is precious. And there's many, just like my mother, who have fought to keep it. I wasn't going to throw it away. I wanted to continue on until my story finally came to the ending it was scripted to have.

Just as I finished recording the events from that night, I couldn't stop myself from opening my social media website.

 _Give me a sign._

My eyes widened when I saw the comments those girls had been saying about me, but just below those comments, new ones appeared, and this time they weren't against me, but they were actually defending me.

Gray had answered to one of their comments. "Fuck off already." He wrote. "You damn snakes don't have a life. Stop talking crap about others and get a life already. Don't you have some cheer routine to practice? Or some guy's attention you should be trying to get?" Tears slid down my face and a small smile graced my face as I read Gray's words. This was so like him, and yet so not like him. He wasn't one that liked getting into other's problems. He didn't care about things like these. But he did this for me. Or maybe he didn't. Maybe he truly was tired of them, and used this as the perfect opportunity to tell them off. But I was happy.

There were two other comments as well. Gajeel had commented, "What has bunny girl done to you all? I don't get it. You all just a bunch of lonely bitches." I couldn't stop myself from laughing. Bunny girl? He was still calling me that? Gosh, I had told him before that I didn't like that nickname.

The last comment was from Loke. "I would totally take Lucy over Lisanna any day. Natsu, what were you thinking? Lucy is one of the most beautiful girls in school. Natsu, you truly are an idiot. And Lucy, if you ever happen to read this, if jerks like Natsu don't treasure you, then don't be shy, I'll go out with you! And I am not joking. You are a thousand times prettier than fake bitches like Angel and Minerva."

I was crying again. I couldn't stop. These three… They truly had made me feel special. They made me happy. They made me want to conquer all my fears and go out into the world with my head held up high. I shouldn't be ashamed. I shouldn't let them make me feel ashamed. And thanks to these three guys, I had finally realized just that.

It was a week after that that I finally got up from bed and attended school. The first day had been terrifying. Everyone had been staring when I entered the building. They all stared and whispered when they saw me in the halls, and even when I walked into class. But I didn't falter, nor did I quiver, I didn't once look down, I held my head up high, straightened my back and felt extremely proud of myself.

But deep down, I felt like I was going to faint. I was prone to so much attention.

Minerva and I crossed paths on my first day. She had been one of the only familiar faces I had seen that day. She had snorted when she saw my hair tied up on a side pony tail with the blue ribbon my mother had given me. I didn't spare her another glance, nor did I look down. I continued as if nothing had happened.

It had been a challenging day, but I got through it. Just as I had encouraged myself to. And just as my counselor had encouraged me to. I had started taking counseling after the suicidal thoughts I had been having, and thought that reaching out for help was the best decision I could take. I wanted to move forward with my life, and I didn't think I could do it all by myself. I needed some kind of encouragement, someone that would hear me out.

It was by the end of my first week back that I finally encountered Natsu. He had been surprised at first, shocked even to see me. "Lucy?" He had asked.

I knew he must have been playing dumb, for a good part of the school had been talking about my return. I only nodded.

He sighed. "Look Lucy, I've been meaning to properly talk to you…" I looked up at him, finally seeing him in person since the night I caught him cheating on me with Lisanna. He was still good looking, he was frowning now, but I could just imagine that goofy smile of his, and his dark eyes were just as warm and friendly as always, but the feelings, the feelings I had held for him before were all long gone. What once was love, now was only disgust, hatred, and disappointment.

"I'm sorry Natsu," I interrupted him, bringing my books closer to my chest as I caught his gaze. He still looked confused. "But I have more important things to attend to. I missed a month of school as you must have noticed. Or did you even notice I was gone for such a long time? You know what… I don't care. I have a lot of catching up to do." And with that I turned and left him in the middle of the hall, still looking very confused. And I smiled. I had been strong. I hadn't broken down after seeing him. I could do this. I could move on.

And I would.

That same day I also saw Lisanna. As well as Juvia and Lyon. Lisanna had turned away just as our paths had crossed. I didn't do anything. I didn't approach her, nor did I expect her to approach me. She didn't anyway. Juvia frowned and Lyon gave me a sympathetic smile. I nodded at them and continued on. They weren't my friends anymore, I knew that all too well. They wouldn't need to explain that to me.

I was all alone that first week. At lunch I sat all by myself. It was like freshman year all over again. Only this time I didn't go to the bathroom to hide. I sat alone in a table in the dining hall and didn't mind all the stares and whispers.

But things went back to how they were before during my second week back. Apparently they hadn't cared much about the guys' comments about them, for Minerva and Angel were back to their daily bullying and name calling, only this time I didn't give much importance to their words.

It was also during that week that I started taking the bus to school. When I stepped onto the bus I saw a couple of familiar faces from school, but didn't mind them and chose a seat near the front.

From my peripheral vision I saw a couple of girls staring at me and whispering. I only rolled my eyes.

"She probably thought she would come to school and find her three knights in shining armor ready to defend her again." I heard Angel say. I sighed. Did she really have to be here, now?

The other girl laughed. "Yeah right. Like Gray cares about her enough to follow her around school. I'm sure he has a lot better things to busy himself with."

Angel hummed in agreement. "Lisanna should be careful. Heartfilia is an expert at playing the victim. She'll probably do anything to get Natsu back. Even if she has to get down on her knees and beg him to go out with her again. She may even threaten to kill herself if he doesn't!"

My eyes widened at that. I turned around to see Angel smirking at me. "Still having suicidal thoughts, Heartfilia? Depression can be a bitch, huh?"

How did she know? How could she possibly know? My hands started trembling and I moved them to grip the seat beneath me.

"That's enough, Angel." I looked up to see a girl with short hair stand up from her seat and confront Angel.

Lisanna?

That had been my first guess. But as I took a closer look, this girl wasn't Lisanna, but a girl that resembled her quite a lot. This girl had short, light- colored hair, with fringes framing her face.

"Yukino?" Angel asked, surprised at first but then sighed. "Don't get involved in things that do not concern you."

Yukino shook her head. "I won't just sit here and pretend nothing's going on. She doesn't deserve this. Those hurtful words aren't necessary Angel. I am sure she hasn't done anything to you. So why are you doing this to her?"

Angel stared at her for a good minute before she stated, "That is none of your business."

"It is!" Yukino countered, and my eyes widened. Why was she doing this? Why was she defending me? Someone she didn't even know?

"It's not fair, Angel. All of you are being way too unfair and cruel to her. It's about time you all realize that." Yukino didn't wait for Angel's response, instead she turned towards me and walked to sit next to me.

She smiled before she sat down and asked, "May I?"

I only nodded, my eyes still wide for what had just happened. "I'm Yukino." She extended her hand towards me and I took it.

"Lucy." I told her and her smile widened.

"Well, Lucy, let's be friends!" I giggled and nodded. I had finally made a friend.

We started hanging out almost every day after that. She told me she was a cheerleader. She also told me she had just moved in to town. Her parents had decided to move in to Magnolia the summer before school started and had only been attending Magnolia High for a month.

"Angel is such a strict cheer captain." She complained to me one day. She looked very cute in her cheer outfit. Though she complained when she had to wear it during school.

"The game isn't till like six tonight. Why do we have to wear it all day? Gosh, this is so stupid." She sighed and I giggled.

"It looks pretty on you." I told her.

She looked down at herself and sighed. "It's cute, alright. But it's a pain having to wear it all day."

I giggled again and she eyed me for a second and then grinned. "Why don't you come over to my house after the game and I'll let you borrow one of my extra cheer outfits? We can take a picture together! That will be our new wallpaper for our cell phones." She winked and I smiled.

I nodded. "That would be nice. Thank you." Her grin widened as she linked her arm with mine.

Yukino became one of my closest friends. Our friendship continued to grow as weeks passed.

It was also during my second week back that I finally saw Gajeel and Loke. They had been standing together by their lockers in the hall. Gajeel had seen me first.

"Bunny girl!" He had called. And I sighed at the nickname.

"Lucy." I told him and he rolled his eyes at me.

"Bunny girl sounds better." He countered and I sighed again. What was with him and not liking to call people by their first names?

"Gajeel don't call such a beautiful princess by that horrid name. Lucy how have you been doing?" I sighed again, louder this time. I'd take bunny girl over princess any day. But with Loke, there was no meaning in even arguing on the topic.

"I've been good." I then saw them smile, well in Gajeel's case it was more of a grin. I smiled back and continued by saying, "Thank you."

They both raised an eyebrow. "For before. You know. For defending me from Angel and Minerva. That really meant a lot to me." I clarified.

Gajeel chuckled. "There's nothing to be thankful for. They were annoying me, so I had to do something about it. Those chicks are just way too annoying."

Loke smiled at me and took my hand and kissed it. I blushed when his eyes caught mine. "Anything for you, princess."

Gajeel sighed. "Could you stop flirting with every girl around here, four eyes."

Loke's eyebrow twitched as he turned towards his taller friend. "Stop calling me that! Damn metal face."

Gajeel glared at him. "What did you just call me! You fucking flirt!"

I couldn't stop myself from laughing. They both stopped arguing and turned to look at me. I hadn't laughed like this in a very long time. And it had been refreshing.

I rubbed my eyes and cleaned my tears as I looked up at them and asked, "Where's Gray? I also wanted to thank him."

Gajeel shrugged and Loke sighed. "We haven't seen him in a while. The day he responded to the comments from those girls was the first time in a long while I had heard from him."

Gajeel nodded. "Gray hasn't had much contact with us. Ever since what happened between him a Lyon and the band, he has been pretty damn distant."

I raised an eyebrow. "What happened with him and Lyon?"

"You didn't hear?" Loke seemed shocked and Gajeel slapped him behind the head. Loke sighed.

"Right. You were gone for a month. Well, apparently, Gray had feelings for Juvia. So he quit the band after he confessed to Lyon how he felt about his girlfriend. Pretty messed up, huh?"

I frowned. So Gray had told Lyon how he felt about Juvia… The bell rang just then and the guys and I parted ways.

It was a few days later that I found myself in the restroom at school. I was about to step out of the stall when I heard someone enter the restroom and stopped myself.

"Did he get caught?" One of them asked.

"No. But I am sure he did have something on him." The other responded.

"You know, last week he also got caught in the girls' restrooms making out with a freshman. And if they hadn't gotten caught I am sure it would have escalated into something else."

One of them gasped. "Really?! Gosh, Gray is seriously something else."

"But he's still so hot!" They both giggled.

"Do you know if he's dating anyone right now?"

"I think he is. But none of them ever last him more than a week."

"I heard he is trying to get over a girl he apparently had strong feelings for."

"Love?"

"Who knows. But I don't think so. I mean, it's Gray." They giggled again.

"I used to love watching him sing at his concerts."

"I know! It sucks that they ended the band." One whined and I frowned. They later stepped out, and I sighed once I heard the door shut close.

I rested my head on the cold restroom stall and closed my eyes. So there were people that also talked about Gray this much? What had he been carrying? Drugs? I shook my head. I couldn't think so lowly of him. And even if he was carrying drugs, then that was none of my business.

It was a week later that I stood in front of my bedroom mirror. I had been adjusting my bow tie and buttoning my navy blue school uniform jacket. I was still very skinny, but I at least didn't look sick anymore. My lips were regaining their natural rose color. My hair looked healthy. My cheeks weren't back to their usual chubbiness but I at least didn't look like a skeleton anymore.

I checked my phone as I walked into school and smiled when I saw my background. Yukino's cheer outfit had looked a little too big on me, and she had joked that I had to eat more. And I was. Compared to before I was eating a ton of food. I sometimes felt like I was going to burst. But my nutritionist said I had to eat five times a week. So I did, even if sometimes I felt like five meals a day were a little too much.

It was during my third week back that I found out Gray was in one of my classes when my math professor called roll. Everyone had turned to look at a seat near the back corner of the room, but that desk had been empty.

"He's not here, professor." A girl that sat next to the empty desk said.

My math professor sighed. "Why doesn't this surprise me." He murmured and I heard a couple of chuckles go around me.

It was later that day, while I walked towards my locker to get my lunch and later meet Yukino at the dining hall, that I finally encountered him.

Gray had been standing right in front of me as I walked down the hall and towards my locker. He was holding a much smaller student up against the wall by the collar. He'd been demanding his lunch money just as I'd rounded the corner, but had stopped mid-sentence the second that he'd spotted me.

The poor, frail boy he was holding up by the collar looked absolutely terrified, his eyes begging me not to simply turn around and act as if I hadn't seen anything.

Perhaps I should have felt fearful, intimidated by the fact that Gray could just as easily overpower me as he had the boy, but instead I found myself growing angrier by each second that passed.

"Gray, what are you doing?! Put him down!"

I held my ground, pegging him with a hard stare as he cursed under his breath, slowly letting go of the smaller boy's collar and shoving him away. The boy stumbled forward, scurrying off in the opposite direction and rounding the corner without even a backwards glance.

"What in God's name were you doing?" I asked, obvious horror in my voice as I wrinkled my nose in disapproval.

Gray straightened himself, a coy smirk on his face as he took a step towards me. "Exactly what it looked like. A guy's gotta eat."

I crossed my arms, making it obvious that I was less than satisfied with his response. "If you're that desperate for food, Gray, I'll share my lunch with you. It's not right to go around intimidating others into giving you their lunch money."

Gray shrugged, obviously not taking my words seriously. "Do you always try playing hero like this?"

I straightened myself. I had been damn well offended by his statement. "Excuse me?"

Gray shook his head, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "I don't mean it as a bad thing. It's just, you and I both know that if it came down to it, I could easily do to you what I did to him."

I pursed my lips, willing myself not to be intimidated by his words. "You wouldn't hurt me." I whispered.

He raised an eyebrow, taking a step forward so he was closer to me. "Are you sure about that?" his voice wasn't threatening, more, well, intrigued I had guessed, with a bit of an edge to it.

"Yes." I answered. Gray's eyes locked with mine, studying them for a minute before he took a step back.

He turned around and sighed. "You know what," Gray said, the mischievous tone of his voice causing me to look up. He smiled. "I think I will take you up on your offer for lunch. I am not going to eat any of your food though." He looked at me with questioning eyes. "Did you lose weight? You look way too skinny."

I sighed and then nodded. He smirked. "Well, then, you shouldn't be offering people food when you need to start gaining back that weight."

He ruffled my hair and then smiled down at me as he patted my head. I blushed and he chuckled.

"Thank you." I suddenly whispered and he raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "For defending me." I continued.

He smiled again, and I swear, my heart skipped a beat. "It was no problem, Luce."

My eyes widened. "Luce?" I asked. And then I sighed. "You're giving me a nickname too?"

My narrowed eyes found his deep blue eyes and he grinned. "So, I can't call you that?"

I couldn't stop myself from grinning. "No, you can." I shrugged. "I have to admit, it's a lot more endurable than bunny girl and princess."

He laughed.

And we got plenty of stares and whispers as we entered the dining hall together. Even Yukino was surprised when we finally joined her. "Hey, Lucy! I'd been waiting for you. I was wondering where you could be…" She eyed Gray and grinned. "But now I know." I blushed and Gray chuckled.

"It's not like that." I murmured as I sat down. Gray did as well and crossed his arms over the table, pretending to follow our conversation but surely enough dozing off every now and then.

It was a month after that that I was finally caught up in all my classes.

It had been on a Friday afternoon that I crossed paths with Gray in the hall again. His eyes widened when he saw me and then he took hold of my thin arm and pulled me aside. He nervously looked around, and I couldn't help wonder what he could possibly be up to.

"We need to talk." He suddenly told me, his voice sounding unusually serious.

I raised an eyebrow, I don't think I have been as confused as I was at that moment. What could he possibly need to talk with me about? But I still answered, "Okay, let's talk."

"No, not here Luce." He looked around us and then back at me. "Somewhere else."

Gray turned and began speed walking down the hall, pulling me with him. I nearly tripped more than once as I tried keeping up with him. He had stopped in front of a vacant classroom and then slipped inside. I hesitated before following him in.

"What's going on?" I finally asked. "Why are we in here?"

He pulled out a cigarette pack from his navy blue uniform pants' pocket and lit one of them while he stuck it into his mouth.

My eyes widened. "You smoke?!"

He sighed, puffing out smoke. "Yeah. Didn't you know?"

I sighed, covering my mouth and nose. "Could you not right now? We're in school! Damn it Gray! I hate the smell of cigarette smoke."

"Just stop with all the crap for a second." He murmured, sounding frustrated. "All I need is one cigarette." He inhaled again and then mumbled. "There's this girl I had over last night…" He trailed off.

"Alright. So?" I questioned.

"Well, I had sex with her and apparently she's the clingy type." He shrugged.

"So you're hiding from her?" I clarified.

"Pretty much."

I sighed, frustrated by the guy that stood in front of me. "And what does any of this have to do with me?!"

He smirked. "It has nothing to do with you."

I glared at him. "You must be joking."

"You should be flattered, I wanted some company and you were the only person I thought about."

I rolled my eyes. "Right."

"I'm being a hundred percent honest with you, Luce. Also, I didn't want to be all by- shit! She found me!" Gray pushed me behind a desk, and my cheeks turned a bright red as I noticed Gray poised above me.

He looked over at the door and I followed his gaze. A girl was at the door. And my eyes widened when I saw who it was.

"I can't believe you. You slept with her?!" I pushed him off of me and sat up. He sighed.

"I was drunk." He mumbled.

"That's no excuse!"

I stood up, wanting nothing more but to leave. "What are you doing?!" Gray hissed, grabbing my arm and stopping me from leaving.

He dropped his cigarette and just as the girl was about to enter his hand found mine. And as he stood he pulled me closer to him.

"What are you doing?!" I shrieked. I was panicking. She was going to kill me. If he did what I knew he was going to do, then I would never get the end of it.

"Gray, please, she's not going to like this." I tried freeing my hand from his but he tightened his grip on it.

"I don't care." He murmured. "If this gets me rid of her we're doing it." He was dead serious and my eyes widened as his eyes locked on mine. I was terrified, and suddenly the feeling of his hand on mine felt nice, it felt secure, it felt right, and suddenly, I didn't want to let go.

The door opened. And in came no other but Angel. "Gray! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Her eyes suddenly landed on me and her eyes narrowed.

"What is she doing here? With you?"

Her eyes caught sight of our linked hands and then slowly looked up at me and then at Gray. "What is the meaning of that?" She questioned, her eyes focusing solely on me.

"Isn't it obvious?" Gray stated. He then turned to look at me and my heartbeats started going at an incredibly fast rate. I could have sworn he could hear them and even feel them through our linked hands.

"I just asked her to be my girl. Lucy is my official girlfriend now. So I can't fool around with you anymore." Gray told Angel and my cheeks turned a deep red color as I hear him call me his girlfriend.

"Fooling around?" Angel whispered. Her eyes hardened as she found Gray's. "That's what you thought of our relationship? As just fooling around?!"

Her eyes then landed on me. "You," she hissed. "I warned you before, Heartfilia."

Gray stepped in front of me as Angel stepped forward. "I chose her, Angel." He turned to looked back at me and my cheeks turned a darker red, if possible. "So leave us the fuck alone." He murmured as he turned to look at her again. "Leave Lucy alone." They both held each other's gaze for a good minute before Angel gave me one last look, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she turned and stepped out of the classroom, slamming the door shut.

I had let out a shaky breath. I felt like I was going to faint.

"Sorry." Gray suddenly whispered. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

I looked up at him and sighed. "Well, at least now she'll leave you alone."

Gray tightened his grip on my hand. "But she'll give you hell. I'm an idiot. Luce I-"

I shook my head, not letting him finish. "It's alright, Gray. I can deal with her. I have so far. I'll be fine." I grinned, but deep down I was terrified of what Angel would do.

Gray raised an eyebrow. "Luce…" he whispered. He frowned and took a step closer to me, his hand coming up to traced my cheek. But we were interrupted when a group of guys entered the room.

The one that opened the door looked surprised and a bit embarrassed. "Oh sorry."

Behind him stood Sting. He raised an eyebrow. "What are you two doing in here?" He suddenly turned to look behind him and my eyes widened when I saw who stood there.

Natsu looked at our linked hands and then he looked at me. "Natsu…" I whispered, but stopped myself from saying anything else.

"Well," Sting started saying. "This sure is interesting." He chuckled. "So you like her type too, Fullbuster?"

Gray glared at him, holding tightly onto my hand. "What type?" He gritted.

Sting smirked. "Well, a prude." And the next thing I saw was Gray's fist landing on Sting's face.

"Don't you dare say that of my girlfriend again." My eyes were wide as I watched Gray and Sting.

"Girlfriend?" Natsu asked. He looked over at me with raised eyebrows. "You're dating him?"

I caught Gray's gaze, he looked hurt by the way Natsu had said that. What? Was he not good enough for me? Who did Natsu think he was taking the responsibility to say who was right to be with me and who wasn't?

"I am." I answered and Gray's eyes widened. I smiled at him and he grinned back at me.

"Jealous, Natsu?" Sting suddenly asked and then laughed as he shook his head.

"No." Natsu suddenly murmured. And my heart dropped. He looked at me and said, "I don't care. I am dating Lisanna now."

And then he turned and left, slamming the door shut.

Sting glanced at us before he murmured. "This isn't over, Fullbuster." Gray sighed and watched as Sting and his friend stepped out behind Natsu.

I suddenly felt tears fall down my cheeks and Gray hugged me, whispering words of apologies into my hair.

I don't believe in destiny. But I do believe that some things are unavoidable. And us coming together like this had been the perfect example. Our stories were intertwined, we were both searching for our happily ever after.

And we would find it. Together.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thank you so much to those who favorited, followed, and reviewed the last chapter!**

 **Hopefully you enjoyed this second chapter. I would love to read what you all thought about it. Well, thanks for reading!**

 **Songs used: Happily Ever After and Tell Me by He is We**

 **Blue**


	3. Chapter 3

We All Have a Story to Tell

Chapter 3

 _And I wish I could say, that it ended just fine._

We stayed in that classroom for a while. I had sat down on the cold floor, my head spinning with everything that had happened. Gray had sat at a desk by an opened window. He had pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one.

I leaned my back against the wall and sighed. The silence had been killing me, the ticks of the clock the only noise in the room.

I glanced towards Gray and was surprised to find him already looking my way. My eyes had widened and I had quickly looked away. I had no idea what to say or do. Was I supposed to just ask him? Or would I sound stupid if I asked him if we were seriously dating? I mean, he had just said it to get rid of Angel. There wasn't anything else.

My eyes slowly looked up to stare at the door Natsu had walked out of. My hands shook by my sides and I fist them in my skirt. I was mad. I had been mad at myself. I still held feelings for Natsu. Even if I told myself not to feel anything, there was still a part of me that cared about him. There was still a part of me that loved him. And it had hurt when he had said he wasn't jealous about my relationship with Gray. And my heart had sunk when he said it was because he now had Lisanna. He had moved on. And I still hadn't. I was foolish. I was in love.

"So... how are you feeling?"

I was surprised by the question. Back then, I just couldn't picture Gray ever caring much about others emotions. In my eyes, he wasn't the type of guy that would really listen to you when you needed a shoulder to cry on. But I learned to not judge a book by its cover.

I turned to him and was startled by the sincere look of concern in his eyes.

Not knowing what to say or do, I lowered my gaze instead. I looked at the door again. A small smile took form on my lips as I whispered, "Is this a trick question?" I had been suspicious, wanting to know where he wanted to take this conversation.

I turned to find him still staring at me. His gaze turned hard as he studied me. He sighed. "Look Luce, I feel responsible for what just happened… All I want to do is help out as much as possible. I mean, anything you need right now, I'll do. So if you need someone to hear you out, I'm here for you." He threw out his cigarette and stood from the desk he had been sitting at and walked towards me. He gave me a half smile as he sat beside me on the floor. He looked up at the ceiling and mumbled, "So answer the question."

I looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. Had he thought I would have a nervous breakdown? I thought he did. But he had honestly just wanted to help me out.

"I'll live." I looked down at my lap and shrugged. And then I felt tears gather in the corners of my eyes, threatening to fall any second. I had rapidly blinked them away. I couldn't lose control. Not there. Not in front of others. Not in front of Gray.

"I'm alright," I finished softly.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, it's okay to talk about it." His voice was low, almost comforting.

"No, I'm fine. I don't need to talk about it."

My hands quivered as they came up to rub my eyes. But I just couldn't stop the tears from coming. I needed to take it all out, and apparently I couldn't wait to do it until I was alone.

The tears fell, soundless and unnoticed until they blinded me. I felt them streaming down my cheeks but couldn't stop. I had thought I was already done crying. It seemed there was still a few tears left.

I gasped when a strong arm suddenly wrapped around my waist and pulled me close. A hand immediately clamped on my mouth to muffle my protests.

"Just shut up and cry," Gray whispered.

I don't know why, but I almost immediately surrounded to him and closed my eyes and leaned my head on his shoulder. Being with him, being this close to him, it had just made me feel safe. It made me feel protected.

And it was in the warmth of his embrace that I felt the misery of keeping my feelings hidden from the rest of the world, denying to everyone, most of all myself, that I still held feelings for Natsu. I had put so much energy into getting over someone who wasn't worth my time, someone who I should have hated for everything he had done to me. But instead, I loved this jerk. I loved him. And he not caring about me anymore made me hurt. It hurt. And this was what irritated me the most. Loving him was driving me crazy. I wanted to hate him. I needed to hate him. I needed to get over him.

The shame had conquered me and I buried myself deeper into the crook of Gray's neck. It was a relief to have someone to just cry on without explanations or recriminations. I could have probably gone to Yukino instead, but she would have most likely just told me to forget about him and move on. But it wasn't that easy. It just wasn't.

The flow of tears stopped after some time. But I didn't move from my position. Gray continued rubbing my back and murmuring into my ear. I had suddenly felt myself being lulled to sleep.

Sitting there, in the warmth of Gray's arms, made me remember the days when Natsu and I would sit under the cherry blossom trees outside the hospital my mother had been staying at. I remembered how his strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me down with him to enjoy the nice afternoon outside. Our relationship had been close to perfect. Almost like a fairy tale. But he had ruined the magic. And he had created a girl who didn't believe in fairy tales anymore. A girl who didn't believe in love. And the girl he had ruined now had a rock in her chest.

Sitting there, in Gray's arms, also made me remember my first kiss. The first time I had ever been held like this by someone else. The first time we held hands. The first time he hugged me. He had been part of all those firsts. Natsu had been a special part of my life. He had been the first guy I had ever fallen in love with.

And then something inside me screamed.

I was supposed to forget Natsu. I wasn't supposed to think about him. A relationship with him was never happening again. I wasn't going to try and date someone who had cheated on me again. I had to move on. Natsu had to stay in my past. I needed to move forward.

Gray's words suddenly ran in my head. He had said I was his girlfriend. Natsu knew. Everyone would surely find out. What if… What if we pretended to date?

My eyes popped open in horror. Gray was now threading his hand into my hair. I jerked away from him and hurriedly mopped my face with my shirt. I flushed when I saw the wet mark on his chest.

"Sorry about that," I said, nodding at his shirt. I gathered my guts and raised my eyes to his. He was looking at me with intensity that kind of unnerved me. I felt him studying my every move, like an animal trying to gauge if his prey would run or fight. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to run.

"You okay now?"

I had to look down as I lied and said, "A little." I sounded weak. I was weak. I was stupid. I was in love with a jerk that had cheated on me with my best friend. "Thanks."

He smiled lazily. "No problem."

It was awkward after that. We had both stayed quiet for a while. Neither of us knew what to say. And we were both thinking about the same thing. Would we do it? Would we pretend to date?

I glanced his way and found him staring up at the ceiling. But I didn't need to break the silence, as I had thought I would, for Gray turned to look at me and whispered, "You still love him, right?"

My eyes widened in horror. He knew. He had noticed. My hands fisted the sides of my skirt and I shook my head. "No." I tried lying but Gray sighed.

"You're a terrible liar, Luce."

I turned to face him. His eyes held mine and I had to look down before I said, "I'm not lying."

"You are." He stated and I gawked at the confidence in his words. He grinned. "You know, someone once told me not to be ashamed of being in love." I rolled my eyes. And the idiot that had said that was me.

"He cheated on me, Gray." I finally whispered. I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I was supposed to hate him and move on. I'm not supposed to love him."

He eyed me with an unreadable expression on his face. "You want to know the real reason why I've never had a serious relationship?"

I was indeed curious. As well as a bit surprised to hear that he had never had a serious relationship. But I didn't want him to know I was curious.

"No."

His mouth turned up into a mocking smile, as if he knew I was lying. And instead of ending the conversation there, he continued and told me even though I had lied and said I didn't want to know.

"I met someone… someone different. Juvia was different from all the other girls. She didn't care about looks, or about popularity. She was honest. She helped me realize so many things, and I just couldn't stop myself from falling in love with her, even when I knew Lyon had feelings for her. He had liked her for such a long time, I just couldn't do that to him. I couldn't say yes when she confessed to me. Even though I was dying to. And it killed me seeing them together." He sighed. "In an attempt to forget about my feelings for her, I went out with a lot of women. But no matter how I tried, I just couldn't shake her out of my head. And a part of me, to this day, still loves her. Even after everything, even after she rejected me and told me she couldn't ever go out with me, I still love her."

I gaped at him, reduced to silence. This had been a side of Gray that I had never seen before. And it made me realize, that in a strange way, we were more similar than what it appeared.

We endured a few minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"So, I guess you kind of know how I'm feeling then?"

He chuckled. "I guess I do."

I smiled. "We are lovesick fools."

He grinned. "You know, that could make a great song."

And we both laughed.

He then reached for my hand and held onto it tightly. His eyes didn't leave mine as he said, "About what I said, we can just act like nothing happened." He gave me a half smile. "I never last longer than a few days with a girl anyway."

There was something in his eyes, something that when he stood up to leave made me reach for his hand again and stop him from leaving. And when he turned, the surprised look mixed with the sadness I had seen in his deep blue eyes before.

"Gray, do you think it's possible for you to fall for someone again?"

He looked surprised by my sudden question, heck I was surprised as well. Since when was I so bold? But a moment later a sly grin broke out onto his face.

"My, aren't we getting personal."

I rolled my eyes. "Just answer it."

His eyes searched mine warily. I needed his answer, because if he could move on, then maybe I could too. Maybe there still was hope for us. Maybe we could finally move on with life and leave the lovesick fools behind.

"I don't know, Luce. I don't know if it's possible- _now."_ He finally answered. I was doubtful. I guess my feelings showed on my face because he felt the need to add the last word. "I mean, yeah, maybe in the future. But I can't see that far." There was a pregnant silence.

"How about you?" He smiled deviously as he sat back down beside me. My eyes widened and his grin widened.

"Uhm I think we could maybe talk about that another time. I'm not at all comfortable with the topic."

Gray sighed. "Natsu sure did a number on you, huh, that you can't even think about falling for anyone else?"

I pondered the question for a few seconds. Was it worth the depression and constant anxiety? I didn't think so. I wasn't willing to go through it all again.

"No. I just don't want to make another mistake. I don't believe in love anymore. Not after all I've been through."

Gray watched me for a minute, realizing what I meant. I was not just talking about what had happened with Natsu, but I was also talking about my mother's death. I was scared of losing another loved one. I was terrified of going through what I had again.

"You're not a fortune teller." Gray suddenly murmured. "How do you know it'll be a mistake?"

"I just do."

"You're just saying that because you've been burned. You just haven't met the right guy."

His dark blue eyes looked hard at me, and I couldn't blame any girl for drowning in that. And then his face started coming closer to mine, until our noses were almost touching.

"I know how you feel, Luce. After I lost my mother, I swore I would never love anyone else, in fear I would lose them. But I still fell for Juvia. We've both had it hard, but I think, no I'm sure, there's someone out there for us, someone that will love us and we will love, without ever fearing of losing them."

His eyes focused then on my lips and I panicked. My heart beats reached my ears and my hands curled by my sides as he traced my cheek. I was panicking. Was he going to do what I thought he was going to do?

And just when his lips were about to reach mine, he pulled away.

"I'm sorry." He whispered and stood up. " I need to go." I was confused as I watched him leave the room. Had I done something wrong?

I sat there, in the empty classroom for a while before I stood up and left. The halls were empty as I walked towards my locker, my footsteps echoing in the long halls. And then, from a distance, I saw a familiar pink haired boy standing on the front courtyard. He was holding onto a girl, his arms securely wrapped around her as they had once been wrapped around me. She was smiling up at him, and he smiled back at her. He looked happy, happier than he ever had with me.

Lisanna reached for Natsu's hand and they walked away, holding hands and smiling. They were in love. And I was miserable.

As I continued walking down the empty halls, I watched as other couples excited the building, all of them smiling and making plans for the weekend.

I had once been that smiling girl, walking out of school with her boyfriend who would walk her home, where her mother would be waiting for them.

I walked to my locker and grabbed the books I would need to do my homework. When I stepped outside, I saw Juvia and Lyon sitting at a bench by the courtyard. They were talking. And just as I walked passed them, I heard Lyon's voice call my name.

I turned, surprised. He smiled. He was standing now. Juvia was still sitting down. She was looking down. I looked back at Lyon with raised eyebrows. "What is it?" I asked.

"I just wanted to ask if it was true that you and Gray are dating." He shrugged. "I am happy to hear that he has finally settled down with someone. After all that's happened, I just want him to be happy."

I was silent for a minute, and Juvia looked up. "Are you dating him?" She finally asked. I raised an eyebrow, why did she want to know so badly?

I was going to deny it, I wasn't the type of girl that liked lying. And Gray and I had already decided that we wouldn't go through with it anyway. We had only done it so he could get rid of Angel.

And just when I was about to say no, I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist. I looked up, surprised to see Gray standing there.

"She is. She's my girlfriend." My eyes widened. He had done it again! God, didn't he say we wouldn't pretend to date?!

Lyon smiled. "I'm happy for you two." He told us and I gave him a nervous smile.

Gray and Juvia maintained eye contact for a long while before Gray finally looked down at me and smiled. "Lucy and I should get going." And then he turned and pulled me with him towards the parking lot.

"What do you think you're doing?" I finally hissed as we started reaching the parking lot. He didn't turn to look at me, he didn't even spare me a glance.

"I saw Natsu. He didn't believe we were dating. Just like Juvia." My eyes widened. They hadn't believed our lie…? Was that why Natsu hadn't cared? Gray suddenly stopped. But he didn't turn to look at me. "They think we can't move on. They're just like all the other idiots in this school. They just like talking crap about others so they can feel better about themselves. Well, I won't let her make a fool of me anymore." He finally turned towards me and held tighter onto my hand. His eyes hardened as they locked with mine. "I am done being a lovesick fool, Luce. I won't let those idiots talk crap about me, and less about you."

I don't know when it started, but tears suddenly started falling down my cheeks. This boy, he had become someone precious to me. And I didn't want to let go anymore. So I held tighter onto his hand and smiled. I was done playing the weak, lovesick girl that couldn't get over her ex boyfriend. I was ready to move on. Even if it was a lie, I would stand up tall and leave the broken hearted girl behind.

"Okay." I whispered and Gray grinned. But that grin hadn't last. He soon turned to where we had left Juvia and Lyon. I followed his gaze and saw that Juvia was also looking our way.

I had known that something was going on between them. And suddenly, I was sure that Gray's confession hadn't been it. Something else had happened. Something that could completely ruin Gray's relationship with Lyon.

* * *

It was the Monday after that that the rumors began. Everyone knew what had happened between Gray, Angel, and me. Everyone knew Gray and I were now dating. People had made nasty rumors saying Gray was just using me. Others said we had already slept together. They all thought Gray had finally taken my virginity. Most rumors were awful and I was growing tired of all of them.

I had walked into my psychology class, the same class I had missed on Friday when I instead stayed with Gray in the classroom, and found most eyes focused on me as I made my way to my desk.

My professor glowered at me when I walked in. I had dismissed it at first but once I reached my desk I heard her say, "It's nice to know you take this class a bit seriously, Miss Heartfilia."

I resisted the urge to run out of the room. I had never ditched a class before, and I was scared for what the consequences would be. A couple of students swiveled to look at me curiously.

"Sorry ma'am, I didn't feel well on Friday."

She looked skeptical but didn't comment. I looked out the window glumly, not really seeing the scenery.

Gray and I were now a couple. It was weird. I had never pictured myself with Gray, even if it was pretend, it still felt weird. Most girls didn't believe he was actually dating me, but more so using me for now as he had other girls. They all thought he would get bored of me pretty soon. I thought so too. How long would this lie last? How long before we part ways?

What were his real intentions?

I was dropped unceremoniously down to earth when the professor started her discussion, albeit surprised that the rest of the class trickled in while I spaced out.

And there it was again. That feeling. That feeling I got when I was being stared at.

I looked around. A couple of students that had been staring at me before were staring at me again. One whispered something to the other. They were eyeing me with something akin to shock on their faces. Seeing that I was looking at them, they decided to be prudent and turned to face the board.

I ignored them after that. Whatever. They could have been talking about me ditching class or about me dating Gray. Either way, I didn't care. Or at least I tried to convince myself not to care.

And just as our professor continued the lecture the door busted open. And in came a very flustered looking Yukino, wearing her usual dark blue cheer outfit.

The professor sighed loudly. "You are late again, Miss Agria."

Yukino smiled shyly, "Sorry professor, something came up and I couldn't make it to class on time."

The professor gave her a stern look and motioned her to go take her seat. Yukino vowed and hurried to her seat, which was the empty one beside mine.

She grinned when she saw me. After she got herself situated she turned and said, "There's something I've been dying to ask you," she whispered excitedly.

"Make it quick. I am getting the evil eyes from our professor," I said, not taking my eyes away from the board.

Yukino giggled. "What's going on with you and Gray? Are you guys seriously dating?"

I didn't want to lie to her, but I still nodded. Her eyes brightened and then she smiled. "I knew something was up between you two!"

We got a couple of stares from the people around us, and even a couple more that shushed us, but Yukino apologized before she again turned towards me.

Her smile suddenly turned into a frown as she whispered, "I also heard people making up rumors about you two hooking up. But of course I don't believe that. I even cleared it up with some idiots from my writing class. Some people just like making up stupid rumors to have something to talk about." She shook her head. "Rumors fucking suck."

I smiled and then nodded. "Thank you." I suddenly whispered, and Yukino looked up, obviously confused. "For doing that for me." I clarified and she grinned.

"Anything for you, Lucy." She winked at me and I giggled at her childish and sweet voice. "I won't be able to take the bus with you after school today. I have cheer practice from five to eight. I don't feel like going but if we don't go Angel won't let us cheer on the next game. She has seriously gotten bitchier, if possible." Yukino went on and on about that and I smiled as I listened to her and took notes of whatever our professor wrote on the board or emphasised to be important.

But after a while I turned Yukino out. I was instead thinking about all the rumors that were going around about Gray and me. The news of us dating spread faster than I would have thought in three days and exploded into a hundred different stories. And then there was the whole deal with Gray and Juvia. And my feelings for Natsu...

"Lucy, are you listening to me?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, Angel is bitchier than usual."

"Not thinking of Gray, are you?"

She laughed when I shot her a glare.

"By the way, I have to warn you. Angel was the one that spread the rumors about you two sleeping together. Apparently she's pretty pissed about him choosing to go out with you. She keeps telling everyone she's out to get your ass. I'm pretty sure we've lost her for real now."

I almost laughed. This was the typical Angel, doing typical Angel stunts. I should have guessed it had been her.

"Is she going to rip me to shreds for dating Gray?"

Yukino laughed. "At least that's what she claims-"

"Miss Heartfilia and Miss Agria, would you like to finish this discussion yourselves?" The professor cut Yukino off.

We both muttered our apologies and dropped our heads back to our desks. The remaining hour passed uneventfully except for the professor choosing to make my life a living hell. She called on me every time she posed a question to the class. Of course I had looked like an idiot. Since I had missed Friday's class, I didn't read any of the assigned texts since I hadn't been there to know which ones we were assigned. I couldn't even ask Yukino since she mostly never came to class on Fridays. When she ended the lecture I was the first one out the door.

Yukino was right on my heel, talking about how the game had gone on Friday. Apparently our football team had won, and she had met a boy that she liked from the other school. But she didn't plan to see him again. She wasn't looking for a relationship.

"I'm more into casual dating." She told me. "There's this boy I sometimes go out with more than once..." She trailed off and looked up, as if trying to think if she had ever gone out with another boy more than once. "He's the only one, actually." She mumbled, and I barely caught the surprised tone in her voice.

"Do you like him?" I asked. She had been blushing, as she always was when she talked about him, but she hadn't ever told me who he was, or if he even went to school with us.

Her eyes widened. She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "Of course not." She was looking down, away from me. I knew she was lying. We were similar in some things as we were different in others. She couldn't lie. Just like I couldn't. And when she lied, she couldn't look you in the eyes, something I too couldn't do.

But I didn't press her to tell me the truth. She would eventually tell me.

As we walked down the hall, I wasn't insensitive to the blatant stares people were giving me but I forced myself to ignore them. Magnolia High was supposed to be a big school but there was nothing like a rumor to make it smaller than a damn coffee shop.

I was pretending to date one of the most known guys in school. Not only was he popular because of his band, but he was also popular in the female population. He held a reputation of being the record- holder of the most number of girls he had slept with. It was crude, but still a reputation. I didn't know if it was true, but I heard rumors of an obsessed girl, who I wouldn't doubt to think twice of Angel, counted his number of girlfriends and assumed he had sex with all of them.

They all knew he wasn't looking for a serious relationship, and still agreed to go out with him. But they all seemed to think that they could change him. However, not one of them had been able to do just that.

I walked to my locker and gathered the books I needed and dumped them into my sling bag. Yukino had gone off to meet with some girls from the cheer team, so I walked towards the library to return a book by myself.

Eyes and whispers followed me as I walked towards the library. I was slightly intimidated by the sudden attention. I hadn't been getting so much attention since my first week back. They didn't bother lowering their voices too. I didn't turn to check out the clustered group of girls talking a mile a minute. I knew they'd all have the same envious expressions on their faces.

Girls in this school had vicious mouths and bloodthirsty pursuits for boys.

"That's her."

"Gray doesn't seem to have a specific type, huh?"

"Isn't she the girl that got cheated on?"

"Oh yeah! She used to date Natsu Dragneel right?"

"I pity her. I heard Angel is going to smash her or something."

"Stop gawking at her. I think she's lucky. I mean, she's dating Gray!"

"I never knew she had the hots for Gray."

"Who doesn't have the hots for Gray?"

They all giggled and I sighed. I was tired of hearing them talking about me. And this was just the beginning.

"But she and Gray, I mean, they just don't mix. She's the typical good girl and he's the bad boy."

"Doesn't that sound a little too cliche?"

And they all started laughing.

I continued stalking to my destination, not wanting to hear those girls anymore.

I had passed by the dining hall and slowed down as I saw Gray sitting with Gajeel a a table near the corner. There were some people in there, not many, but it wasn't completely empty. I was tempted to go in and talk to Gray. I hadn't seen him since Friday after all. But before I could take a step inside the dining hall, a familiar blue haired girl blocked my way.

"Lucy." Juvia stated and I raised an eyebrow, surprised by her approach.

"I have to head in there." I told her. "I'm looking for… someone," I said, pointing at the dining hall.

"You don't want to go in there."

"And why is that?"

"Tongues are wagging. Your name and Gray's seem to be on everyone's lips these days."

"So I've heard," I mumbled.

She sighed. "There have been a lot of add-ons to the original story, Lucy. But don't mind what they say. If you do, then you'll give them what they want, to get on your nerves."

I nodded. "Why do you care?" I suddenly asked. She hadn't been friendly with me since what had happened with Lisanna and Natsu, so why was she now?

She smiled. "I care about Gray. And he seems to care about you, so I will do whatever I can to help both of you. I want him to be happy." She shrugged. "I love him, Lucy. I truly do. But it's not the same love he feels for me." Her gaze turned towards where Gray sat and something in her eyes, maybe it was the glint in her eyes or the way her gaze turned warm, that made me doubt her words. "Take care of him, please."

My eyes widened, but I didn't say anything, I only nodded. She smiled once more and left after that.

But I didn't do as she had asked me. I still stepped inside the cafeteria and headed towards Gray. Juvia hadn't been lying, almost everyone had been talking about Gray and me. I guessed that was why he had been sitting by the back of the room, as far away from all of them as possible. I cringed inwardly when I passed by the table Angel and her cheer friends had been sitting at. She was shooting daggers at me with her piercing blue eyes. If looks could kill…

However, I didn't ever make it to Gray's table. Natsu had stood up from his table as soon as I passed by him. He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the exit. God dammit, I should have listened to Juvia! People looked just as confused as I felt as they watched us leave the dining hall.

Why was he dragging me out of the room? That's exactly what I was planning to find out. And he would tell me.

He opened an empty classroom and stepped in, locking the door after he pulled me in.

"What is your problem?!" I gritted, finally freeing my arm from his hold. "What do you want?"

He wasn't looking at me, instead he was looking down at the floor with an intense frown on his face.

After a few minutes of silence I decided I was done waiting and made to walk out of the room, but he again grabbed onto my arm to stop me from leaving.

I turned around to see him finally looking up at me. "Do you know what you're getting into?" He spoke and I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure I understand what you're asking me."

He dropped my arm and folded his arms in front of his chest. His dark eyes were cold and his jaw was clenched with obvious displeasure.

"I know you, Lucy. And if you're planning what I think you are, then it won't work. Gray won't change his ways, no matter who he dates, or what you try to do." Natsu's hard voice rang in my head.

And as he continued to stare at me, I felt rage well up inside me.

"Like you can talk, Natsu." I was mad. Mad at him. Mad at myself for being in love with him. And I wasn't planning to let him tell me what he thought was good for me and what wasn't. I was done being the weak and fragile girl who always needed someone to save her. "Whatever I plan or don't plan to do is none of your business."

His hard eyes found mine and he held my gaze for a good minute before he sighed and shook his head.

"Look Lucy, I'm not saying you can't handle him," he paused. "Okay, that's exactly what I'm saying. I'm trying to knock some sense into you, for God's sake."

My hands tightened by my sides. "This is none of your business, Natsu."

"All I'm saying is you're no match for a guy like him. He'll just throw you away when he's bored with you."

The tears clouding over my eyes momentarily blinded me. "Like you did with me?" His eyes widened. A single tear fell down my cheek and he tried to reach out to me but I slapped away his hand. "Are you feeling guilty? Is that what this is about? You don't want the girl you cheated on to be cheated on again? Because if she does something stupid you will never forgive yourself?"

He looked down and I sniffed and cleaned my tears away. "I can take care of myself. Thanks for the concern."

"You're goddamn right I'm concerned," he grumbled.

I let out a laugh. "You're concerned about me now?" I shook my head. "It's too late for that, Natsu." I looked at him pointedly. He had enough common sense to look down in shame.

"Look Lucy, I care about you." I snorted at that but he ignored me. He moved closer, and I couldn't help but step back. I was scared. Scared of my feelings for him. Scared of what he was about to do.

He frowned. "Lucy…" he whispered and took another step and I moved one back. His hands tightened by his sides as he said, "Are you afraid?"

My eyes widened at his words. I looked up at him, my wide eyes locking on his. My mouth opened, trying to come up with a response, but nothing came out. "You're afraid I'll hurt you again, right?"

I looked down, and I heard him take another step. My heart beats were thumping so fast, I could feel them in my ears. When I finally looked back up, I saw that he was now only inches away from me.

I took one last step back and pressed myself against the wall as much as possible. Natsu was looking down at me, his eyes warm and compassionate. He gazed down at my mouth for about a second and then snapped back to my eyes. He placed his hands on either side of my head, against the wall. I could feel every inch of us touching as he reached to clean the tear that had unconsciously fallen down my cheek.

"I really do care about you, Lucy. And I'm truly sorry for everything I did to you. I was an idiot." He looked down and then sighed before he looked back up at me. "I loved you, I really did." He paused and his dark eyes locked on mine. "I think I still do."

The tears I spilled after that felt like they would never stop. "Stop." I whispered, trying, in vain, to keep my voice from shaking and my knees from wobbling, "Please stop."

"Why?" He suddenly asked, his eyes searching mine. He was so close, too close.

I shook my head, closing my eyes and fisting my hands by my sides. "This isn't right. You have Lisanna now. You chose her." My eyes opened and I found his again. "You can't be switching between us whenever you feel like it."

"What if I tell you I don't love her?" He asked, leaning his head down to me, our foreheads touched.

My eyes widened as I stared at him. He didn't love her? I had shaken my head. No. He was playing with me again. I couldn't trust him again.

"I don't care."

He raised an eyebrow. "You can't lie, Lucy."

I bit my bottom lip and looked away. "I'm not lying. I really don't care. I've already made up my mind. I won't be the stupid girl that gets back together with the boy that cheated on her, even if she still loves him."

My eyes widened at my last few words. I had said it? I had confessed to him that I loved him? That I had loved him? His eyes widened as well and I saw a spark of hope in his dark eyes.

As much as I had wanted to push him off or scream at him or anything, really, I couldn't concentrate as he lowered his lips to mine, not quite touching. "Will you ever be able to forgive me?" His breath blew across my lips and I shivered.

I sniffed and shrugged. "You cheated on me with Lisanna, after everything that happened, it really hurt seeing what I did. No girl wants to see the guy they love with another girl, and less if that girl is their supposed best friend. You two, you two are truly horrible." I was crying and I couldn't seem to stop.

Natsu frowned and then, to my surprise, hugged me. "I'm sorry." He suddenly whispered. "I'm so sorry Lucy. I was only thinking about myself and never once stopped to consider your feelings. I was stupid."

He slowly pulled away from our hug and his eyes drifted back to my lips. I felt him move one hand down to my waist and I wanted to run and scream but a part of me wanted to stay, wanted to feel his warmth again, wanted to stay in his embrace. And I had started to give in as I let my eyelids close. The lovesick girl wanted to be loved again. I wanted to feel loved again. I needed to. I felt alone. It wasn't so much that I wanted to be with Natsu, but more so that I needed to. A part of me still felt lonely. My mother was dead and my father neglected me. I was alone. And all I wanted was to feel protected and warm. I was tired of feeling cold and alone.

But I had felt protected with Gray as well, right?

My eyes widened when I thought of Gray. And suddenly, I remembered everything. I could picture myself walking up the stairs that lead towards the second floor, I could hear the loud music again, smell the smoke and the beer, feel the cold doorknob as I turned it and opened the door, I could see Natsu above Lisanna, I could see their naked bodies… I could feel my upset stomach, and I could feel the agony of that night all over again as my heart shattered into a million pieces.

"No!" My eyes snapped open and I pushed Natsu off.

Natsu looked confused, "Lucy?"

I shook my head, my heart pounding in my ears. "I can't forgive you." The tears that gathered in my eyes temporarily blinded me as I repeated, "I can't forgive you, Natsu."

And I turned and ran away from Natsu, slamming the classroom door behind me. I heard Natsu's calls but didn't once look back. I wanted to forget everything that had just happened. I was trembling. It hurt. I didn't want to think. I didn't want to remember.

I neared the restrooms and opened the first door and walked in.

My heart beats tumped at a fast rate as I leaned on the bathroom door and slid down to the cold tiled floor. Would he follow me? I hoped he didn't. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to cry and let everything out. I wanted to forget. I wanted to move on. Natsu had to be in my past. He had to.

"Luce?"

I winced when I heard that nickname.

I immediately looked up to see Gray walking towards me. I looked around my surroundings and noticed that I wasn't in the women's restrooms, but instead had walked into the men's restrooms.

Gray crouched in front of me and cleaned the tears that stained my cheeks. "What happened, Luce?"

I tried telling him, I truly did, but I couldn't. I felt a knot on my throat and I just couldn't stop the tears. He frowned and pulled me towards him, holding tightly onto me as I hiccuped into his neck.

After what felt like hours, he slowly pulled me up and led me towards the sink, where he handed me paper towels and even brought me tissues. I thanked him. As I washed my face, I watched as he walked over to the door and kept watch for any "intruders."

"Gray?" I called, and I watched him from the mirror as he looked up from his position by the door. He was lounging casually against it, his arms folded, biceps straining under his white button up shirt. I blushed and looked down at the sink again.

"Thank you." I mumbled.

He nodded. "Boyfriends do these kind of things for their girls, right?" He grinned and I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

"I guess." I said and walked over to him.

"Ready?" He asked. I looked at the mirror one last time and sighed. I didn't look great. Not even close. You could tell I had cried, either that or I had the flu. My nose was red, my cheeks were red, and my eyes were still swollen from all the tears.

Gray noticed when I frowned as I looked at my reflection in the mirror and wrapped his arm around me. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Luce."

I sighed and nodded. "Alright, let's get out of here."

"Wait," Gray told me, holding onto me tightly. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

I looked down, not knowing what to tell him or how to tell him what had happened between Natsu and me.

"It's nothing important." I suddenly said, and I was surprised at my wording of the situation. "It's not important anymore." I smiled up at him. "I'm feeling better and that's all that matters now." I had lied. I wasn't feeling any better. But I didn't want Gray to worry.

Gray furrowed his eyebrows and I knew he had seen through my lie. But he didn't press me to tell him the truth. He only nodded.

And just when we were about to step out, Gray stopped. I stopped and listened as well. Steps. Someone was heading towards the restrooms. The women's or the men's? Gray didn't think twice as he shoved me towards a stall and I quickly closed it. I covered my mouth with my hands as the door opened. I heard the person pause at the door. I could only guess Gray had moved to stand as if he had been making his way to step out of the restroom.

"Fullbuster." My eyes widened. Natsu. That was Natsu's voice.

Gray didn't say anything. Natsu sighed. "For once I'm actually glad to see you. I've been looking for Lucy all over school, have you seen her?"

Screams filled my head. He had actually been looking for me? I could only hope Gray wouldn't tell him I was there. I hadn't wanted to see Natsu. I couldn't. Not after everything that had happened. I would only break down again.

"And you're looking for her here?"

Natsu snorted. "What am I, stupid?"

"Well…" Gray began and I couldn't stop myself from grinning.

"'Course i know she's not here. I was just asking if you've seen her."

"Why?"

"That's none of your business."

"Actually, it is."

They stayed quiet for a few seconds before Natsu suddenly said, "I don't know what game you're playing at, Fullbuster, but I don't want you treating her like you treat all the other girls you go out with. I don't want you throwing her away like a ragdoll after you're done with her." Natsu threatened.

There was a brief pause. Drops of water trickled from the faucets, echoing loudly in the room.

"And how the hell do you think I am going to treat her?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

"What we do is none of your business, Dragneel." Gray said coldly.

"Her happiness is my business."

"So now her happiness is your business? What happened when you were actually dating her?" My eyes widened. I was stunned at how fast the temperature in the room surged up. The charged air choked the breath out of my lungs.

Natsu didn't answer.

Gray continued by saying, "You don't own her, Natsu. Lisanna's happiness is your area, not Lucy's."

"I'm just warning you. So don't fuck her up like you do all the others."

Gray let out a piercing sardonic laugh. "I don't need to. You already did, Natsu."

I heard knuckles crunching. I was about to step out from the stall but heard a sigh and stopped myself.

"This isn't even worth breaking my fingers for," Natsu said. "Lucy is important to me. Take care of her."

I wasn't sure if Gray would hesitate breaking his own fingers against Natsu's face.

To my surprise, Gray merely laughed. "You don't need to tell me what to do. I'll do as I wish."

"Have you seen her?" Natsu's voice sounded angry and annoyed.

"Today? No."

And after that I heard steps walk out and then the door slammed closed.

Gray and I stayed silent for a minute before he finally sighed and I walked out of the stall. He turned towards me and shook his head as he grinned.

"Want my advice? Next time you choose a hiding spot, go someplace the person you're hiding from wouldn't be caught dead in. Like the women's restrooms?"

I flicked a glance at Gray. His shoulders shook as he laughed.

I rolled my eyes and mumbled, "Thank you."

"Hey, anything for my girlfriend." He flashed me a smile. He enjoyed teasing me. Jerk.

He suddenly stopped laughing and stepped towards me and patted my head. "So what happened before, had to do with Natsu, right?"

I nodded.

He sighed. "I figured as much."

Silence followed. We stared at each other, as if daring one another to look away first. I flinched when I felt the stirrings of something unknown… I sure wasn't going to be around long enough to find out.

"I should get going…"

"Luce, wait."

I turned to him and found his deep blue eyes staring at me with intense concentration, making me blush.

"Stop staring at me, Gray." I murmured.

"Why?" His lips quirked into a half smile. "It's not a crime to look at somebody."

"Well, I don't like the way you're looking at me."

And with that I pivoted on my heel and continued my path to the door.

"I'm coming with you."

Before I could protest, he brushed past me and opened the door. He angled his head to mine. "I don't care much about rumors but I think you're going to implode if anybody sees us getting out together."

I winced. I didn't think about the consequences. Gray flustered me to the point of not caring.

"Coast is clear. We can get out now," he said while making sure that the hallway was empty. He walked out first with me on his heels.

We walked into the crowded locker halls that lead to our classes and Gray looked down at me and grinned. He held out his hand to me and I raised an eyebrow.

"Couples are supposed to do things like these in public, right?" He whispered and I looked at the people that were staring at us in the hall. I smiled and nodded as I took his hand in mine.

He linked our fingers and something inside me tingled as he tightened his hold on my hand as we walked down the hall. People were looking at us and whispering. I realized this had been the first time we had actually been like this in front of others.

We finally reach my class and he let go of my hand. Students walking into class stared at us and whispered. Girls giggled as they walked passed Gray. Even students walking by my class stared at us. I was too focused on the stares and whispers that I didn't notice when Gray hugged me.

"Are you feeling better?" He muttered and my eyes widened. I smiled and slowly wrapped my arms around him and hugged him back. I felt him stiffen at first but his hands later slid to my lower back, pulling me in tighter.

"I am, thank you." I whispered back.

He nodded and then smiled. "I'll see you after class."

I smiled back at him and nodded.

I watched him walk away down the hallway and then, he turned around and smiled at me one last time. And when our eyes locked, something inside me happened. I felt my stomach do somersaults. But I didn't overthink the feeling. Gray was special, I at least knew that much.

And when I finally stepped into class, I found myself still smiling.

This had just been the beginning.

Every story has an end. But in life, every end is a new beginning.

And suddenly, I knew I had to trust the magic of beginnings.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you so much for reading! A special thank you to TheDorkyCelestialFlame, Guest, and IceKeys121 for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Until next chapter :)**

 **Blue**


	4. Chapter 4

We All Have a Story to Tell

Chapter 4

 _We all want to know_ _…_ _how it ends._

I sighed as I walked out of my Calculus class, my head spinning after just finishing my test. I could say that I was smart, I had loved school and reading since I was a little girl. But if I could choose the subject I hated the most, or I was worst at, I would have to say it was Calculous.

People in my class that had also taken the test were scattered all over the hallway, poring over their notes. Muffled curses broke out from somewhere on my right for forgetting a formula. I turned away, not wanting to hear what formula or for what problem, I didn't plan on looking back on my notes and cursing myself for using the wrong formula.

I plugged the earphones of my iPod on my ears to drown out the post-exam furor while weaving through the small crowd inconspicuously. But that had proven to be impossible because every girl I passed was either scowling at me or gawking at something behind my back. I rolled my eyes. It had been a week since Gray and I had began to pretend to be a couple. And still, the girls in this school seemed to not get used to it. I mean, I had, so they should have too.

I had turned in curiosity and my temper soared just as the song I had been listening to resounded in my head.

Some seemed surprised at my sudden interest in them, others only rolled their eyes at me and turned away. I sighed and shook my head. I shouldn't have care about them. They could talk all they wanted. Or so I tried to convince myself.

It had been then, as I walked through the halls listening to a random song on my iPod, that I felt a hand hold onto mine. I was startled at first, and looked first at the hand that held mine before I looked up to find deep blue eyes already staring down at me. Gray grinned down at me, mouthing a 'hey.' I smiled, removing one of my ear buds as I greeted him back.

We didn't speak much as he walked me to my next class. He had only asked how my test had gone and I had said that I wasn't too confident about it and would rather not think or talk about it anymore. He nodded and chuckled. I meant to ask him why he hadn't shown to take the exam, but decided not to say anything. I think I never once mentioned to him that we had Calculous together.

He looked straight ahead as we continued to walk down the hall and I couldn't help looking up at him and noticing how the white button up shirt he wore fit his broad frame perfectly, and how his messy dark hair and smoldering eyes just screamed sex appeal. Sex appeal? I had wanted to laugh, but instead I only shook my head and grinned at my stupid thoughts.

He had given my hand a squeeze when we approached my classroom, and told me he would see me during lunch. I had smiled and nodded. This had been weird at first, him walking me to class, us holding hands in public, acting like a couple. But it had changed from strange to just normal. I had gotten used to it, and I didn't dislike spending so much time with Gray, I actually enjoyed whatever time I spent with him.

After class, I had stashed my iPod in my sling bag and pushed the double doors that marked the exit of my classroom. The cold wind entering from a nearby window instantly accosted me and made my hair that had been tied on a high side ponytail flail all over my face.

I smiled, tucking a loose strand behind my ear as I watched the cherry blossom tree outside move with the wind, cherry blossom petals dancing around in the wind.

But my smile had faded as soon as I turned around and found Angel standing there. The queen herself was glaring at me like she had been doing all week, as if expecting me to drop dead instantly.

She had her arms crossed under her chest, her eyes traveling over my form, from head to feat, stopping at the blue ribbon that tied my hair up on a side ponytail, a smirk soon gracing her lips as she chuckled.

I adjusted the strap on my bag and stood up straight. I did not want to deal with Angel, not anymore. I've had had enough of her and I wasn't planning to let her make me feel bad about myself.

I had made to move to side-step Angel but Minerva and another pinked haired girl had suddenly appeared by her side and blocked my way.

"What do you want?" I suddenly asked, trying not to sound scared or nervous.

"I don't want anything from _you_." Angel started, a grin never faltering from her lips. "I just want to give you a piece of advice."

I furrowed my eyebrows. Advice? What kind of advice? And then I sighed in realization. "Is this about Gray? Are you here to tell me _again_ to stay away from him?"

Her grin widened and she chuckled. "No. You can play with him all you want as long as it stops there." She shrugged. "He will never fall in love with you, Lucy."

I raised an eyebrow, a little taken aback by Angel's words, but didn't get a chance to say anything because Angel continued.

"I've known Gray for a while now, and I know you will never be who he wants," she gave me a devious smile and I sighed.

Before I could stop myself, I said, "And who would that be? You?"

Her eyes flared with anger. "No." She then looked down. "I know who he's been panting after for years now. And that is Juvia Loxar."

Deep down I had wanted to laugh. Laugh at her words, laugh at the irony of the entire situation. I knew Gray didn't love me and that he instead loved Juvia. God, we weren't even dating for real!

I looked down and sighed again before I looked back up at Angel, ignoring Minerva and the other pink haired girl as I said, "Gray is dating me. I don't think he would be with me if he liked another girl." I had of course been lying, since I had known the truth, but I just wanted to get Angel off my case.

Angel sighed. "She's Lyon's girlfriend, Lucy. Of course he can't be with her, that's why he dates so many girls. It took me a while to figure this out, but he is only using you to get Juvia." She gave my shoulder a sympathetic squeeze and I had stiffened at the contact.

"Be careful." She told me and gave me one last smile before she turned and walked away, Minerva and the other girl following after her.

Angel's words had left me thinking about a lot of things. As I walked down to my locker, I couldn't stop thinking about what she had said. Gray did love Juvia, he had told me so before. So was she the reason he had asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend? Was he trying to get her to choose him and leave Lyon by making her jealous? My eyes widened. Would he do such a thing to his friend? Would he do the same thing Lisanna did to me?

My hands suddenly started shaking. Would Gray really risk his friendship with Lyon to have Juvia?

"Luce?" I jumped in surprise when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to find Gray with raised eyebrows. "Are you alright?" He asked.

I looked away and noded. "Yes." I lied.

When I looked back up at him, I saw that his eyebrows had been furrowed, probably not buying my lie.

He suddenly took my hand in his, my eyes widened in surprise and then I saw someone walk passed us. I turned to see Lyon and Juvia. Lyon nodded at me and grinned at Gray. Juvia stared at our hands. She frowned but as soon as Lyon looked down at her she smiled and looked away. He had only held onto my hand because she had been there. He wanted her to see, because it was bothering her to see us together. Angel wasn't at all mistaken, Gray really wanted to get Juvia jealous. He wanted her to choose him, even if she was Lyon's girl, he wanted her.

I pulled my hand away from his and turned back around to get my books out of my locker.

"Luce?" he asked. I didn't answer, instead I dropped my books into my bag and turned to leave.

I suddenly didn't want to be with him. I just wanted to be alone.

I heard him calling after me as I paced towards the arch that marked the school's exit. I doubled my pace to a fast walk when I heard him walking after me. People all around school seemed to notice us.

"Their first fight?"

"Is she going to dump him?"

"No way! Gray has never been dumped! He's always the one that ends the relationships."

"There's always a first time for everything."

They were all chuckling and I rolled my eyes as I walked down the stairs that lead to the exit of Magnolia High.

"Luce!"

My hands curled into fists by my sides as I razed down the steps. I turned around once I had reached the exit and said, "I want to be alone, Gray."

His eyes widened, and then I turned back around.

And that's when I felt someone grab my shoulder, forcing me to an abrupt stop. "What's with you?"

Gray's eyes had been firing blades, making the irises stand out.

I pulled away from him as I said, "Nothing."

I tried to move away from him but he took hold of my hand, making me stop. "Stop lying, Luce."

I turned around and raised an eyebrow. He wanted me to stop lying? Alright. "I don't believe you only want to pretend to date to get over Juvia. I thinks there's more to this. You want more, and I want to know what that is. I want to know everything, Gray. And if you don't tell me the truth then you can just forget this little farze we have created."

His eyes widened. He certainly did not see that coming. There had suddenly been a tense silence as we stared each other down. Neither of us seemed eager to break it. I wasn't planning to, I had spoken my mind, and had been waiting for answers.

He looked away and sighed. "There is more." He looked around us, watching other students exit the building and heading towards the parking lot. "I want to tell you the truth, Luce." He looked back at me, and my eyes widened when I saw the earnest look he had given me. "But not here."

His hand tightened around mine and he had pulled me away from our spot and towards a park near school. We didn't speak a word to each other. I couldn't think of anything to say.

We had walked somewhere towards the middle of the park until we reached a cherry blossom tree that stood near the middle.

Gray let go of my hand and went to sit down next to the tree. I sat down as well, leaning my back against the trunk of the tree. Our shoulders had brushed, but neither of us drew away.

I shielded my eyes from the sun with my hand as I looked up through the overarching branches of the cherry blossom tree above me.

It was the middle of October, and surprisingly, it had been quite warm. I just couldn't wait for winter to finally start.

Gray slid down a little so he could lie flat on his back. He looked up at the sky. "I told you before that I had dated a lot of girls to get over Juvia." I turned to look at him. He had crossed his arms under his head and was watching as some cherry blossom petals blew away with the wind.

"I'm doing this for her…"Gray sighed and propped himself up from where he had been lying next to me and raised an eyebrow. "You never really wanted to do this, right?"

I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say. Had I wanted to do this, pretend to date a guy that I felt connected to, but didn't really understand our relationship? Did I want to go on with this farze, or did I rather want to experience a real relationship? But why would I want to experience a real relationship when I had already decided I didn't believe in love?

I frowned. "Why do _you_ want to do this? What are you getting out of this?" I had asked again, not wanting to get off subject. I wanted answers, and I didn't want him changing the topic.

For a long time, Gray didn't reply. In fact, he had been silent for so long that I had turned and looked at him. "I'm in love with Juvia," he had mumbled. "I've done things I'm not too proud about, and I'm trying to fix some of the mistakes I've made. I thought…" He sighed. "I thought that pretending to date you would make her jealous, would make her realize that she should pick me instead of Lyon."

My eyes had widened. He really did want to get Juvia to break up with Lyon?

He saw my reaction and sighed again. "I know I'm not being the best of friends by doing that to Lyon." He stopped and looked up at the sky. "I have actually been a pretty horrible friend to him."

I closed my eyes. I didn't think I could understand how Gray was so willing to betray his friend. Had Lisanna been this way as well when she betrayed me with Natsu?

Gray didn't say anything else after that and we both sat there in silence. After about ten minutes of silence, I had rolled over on my side and opened one eye to look at him. He was looking up at the sky with a pensive look on his face. I wondered what he was thinking, but I didn't prompt him for an answer. I hadn't been sure I wanted to continue talking about the topic.

He surprised me when he rolled over so he was lying on his side and we were face to face, my cheeks warming into a dark shade of red. "I know I am being a terrible person by asking you to help me do something like betray my friend, but I love her, and I can't take it anymore. I have to do something." There was an expression on him that I had never seen before, he was desperate. "I know you must think I'm the worst. To think of betraying my friend, and I really am a horrible person. But I don't think I can take this anymore." His hands curled into fists and then he sighed and closed his eyes.

"I really do love her. I just can't be without her anymore. I don't want to have to wait until no one's there to be able to hold her. I want everyone to know that she's mine. I don't want to share her with anyone. I want her to choose me, and only me."

It hurt. I didn't understand why it did. Just that there was pain. Too much of it. Somehow, hearing him tell me his feelings for Juvia and admitting that there had been more to their relationship, as I had suspected, made my eyes water. I blinked in horror. I didn't know the reason for the sudden feeling of hopelessness.

"You and Juvia… You've been seeing her behind Lyon's back?" I asked, a little scared to know the truth. My hands shook when he frowned and nodded.

"It all started when they broke up back in our junior year. We were both drunk and we made a mistake. That had been all, a drunken mistake. She had asked me to just forget it ever happened and to not say anything to Lyon. But to me, it had been so much more than just a stupid drunken mistake. I had had strong feelings for her back then, and that night had meant a lot more to me than it had to her. Or at least that's what I had thought at first. But then, she came back one night, asking me for comfort, and we ended up in the same situation. Every time she needed comfort, she would come looking for me. But by morning she would beg me to pretend nothing happened, and to not say a word to Lyon. I let her mess around with me for a while until I couldn't take it anymore and asked her to choose me or Lyon."

He stopped and I saw his hands shake as they came up to cover his eyes from the sun. "She took a while to think about it. But it was during the beginning of our summer break before school started again this semester, that she told me she would chose me." He smiled. "She had made me the happiest man on this town. I couldn't believe she had actually chosen me. I had been expecting the worst, I had been well prepared to hear her say she would choose Lyon. But she said she'd choose me, she had chosen me." His arms dropped by his sides, a frown on his face as he looked up at the sky. "But she changed her mind. She hadn't been a hundred percent sure, and only chose me because she felt a fire she didn't feel with Lyon. Our relationship had only been physical to her. There were no feelings, it had all been about pleasure. She loved Lyon. And she realized this when I confessed that I loved her and she hadn't been able to say that she loved me back. Because she didn't. She loves Lyon." His voice cracked at that last sentence. It had been hard for him to admit the awful truth.

Tears had rolled down my cheeks as I heard him speak. He really did love her, and she had played with his feelings, she had given him hope, and then crushed him in a horrible way.

I didn't know what to say or do. So I didn't do anything, I was only able to whisper, "Gray…" He turned around and gave me a small smile. And then I reached for his hand, and held tightly onto it. His eyes widened at first but then his free hand came up to clean away the tears that had fallen onto my cheeks.

His hair had fallen over his dark blue eyes when they focused on me. I had been tempted to brush it back but I caught myself in time.

"I don't agree to what you're doing… since, you know, I had a friend that stabbed me on the back when she slept with my boyfriend." I started and Gray gave me a small smile, nodding. "But… I'll help you." His eyes widened and I was too a little shocked by my words. I smiled back at him as I said, "I don't think she deserves you, but if that's the girl your heart is set on, then I'll help you get your happy ending." I grinned and he chuckled."There's only one rule. No more sleeping around with any other girl while you're pretending to be my boyfriend. I don't want to be the girl that got cheated on by her boyfriend, again."

His hand tightened its hold on mine and he nodded. "You'll be the only girl in my life as long as this goes on, don't worry. The least I want is for you to get hurt. I'll never do anything to hurt you." My face flushed at his words.

He chuckled and pulled me towards his chest. I rested my head there and closed my eyes as I listened to his heart beats.

I wanted him to be happy. I really did. But deep down, I didn't want him to be with Juvia. She had been cruel, to both Lyon and Gray. She didn't deserve either of them. But love was a complicated thing. And if Gray wanted to be with her, then I would help him win over the girl he loved. One of us should at least be happy. I had lost the boy I loved, but Gray could still get the girl. He still had a chance of getting his happy ending, no matter how weird or messed up their story already was.

* * *

"Lucy? Has something happened?"

I blinked and looked up at Yukino's bewildered brown eyes, her question making my eyes widen. We had been sitting at a table in a coffee shop near school. Half way through our conversation, I had spazzed out and had started thinking about what had happened with Gray.

I didn't know whether to tell Yukino the entire truth or just continue to lie to her and make her believe that Gray and I had actually been dating."I don't want to talk about it," I said tautly and eased into an upright position.

She raised an eyebrow but didn't immediately say anything. I fingered the rim of my cup as I watched people walk in and out of the coffee shop.

"This isn't about Gray, is it?"

My hand had quivered, almost making me spill the liquid inside my cup. Yukino shrieked with laughter.

"I knew it! So… what happened?"

"I don't know if telling you is a good idea… I kinda promised I wouldn't tell anyone." I was lying. Gray hadn't asked me to keep this a complete secret. I could probably tell a friend? Yukino was my only friend, so Gray would understand if I only told one person, right?

Yukino frowned."You can't even tell me?" She asked and I sighed.

"Okay, but you have to promise not to tell anyone." She nodded and I took a deep breath as I prepared myself to confess the truth. I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Well… Gray and I are actually not really dating. I mean… we're pretending to date."

Her eyes widened. "What?!"

People sitting on tables near by turned to us with pissed off looks and I glared at Yukino. "Can you not scream? We're in public." I shushed her but she seemed not to care about the onlookers.

"I can't believe you accepted to pretend to date him… Why did he even ask you to do something like this?"

I told her the condensed version of how it had all started, about what had truly happened when Gray told Angel we were dating and how later Gray asked me to pretend to date so we could both move on, but how he really had wanted to get Juvia jealous so she would break up with Lyon to be with him. I left out Gray's story knowing that that was something too personal to be telling others about. I trusted Yukino, that's why I had told her. But telling her what Gray had told me was not something I could do.

"Oh God, why did you agree to this?! Gray is that in love with Juvia? I mean, I don't think she's worth it, she has already rejected him, right?"

I nodded. "He still thinks this may work. And I want to help him. I know this is insane, but I just… I want him to be happy. He really does love her." I shrugged and Yukino sighed.

"Oh Lucy, what a tangled web you wove yourself into." She placed her hand on top of mine and gave me a warm and encouraging smile. "I think this is crazy, but I still wish you the best of luck."

I shrugged again. "Why? It's not as if I'll die pretending to like Gray. Everything will be fine."

Yukino eyed me for a few seconds before she sighed. "Yeah, you'll be pretending, but for how long? What if you actually fall for Gray?"

I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "That will never happen, Yukino. Gray and I are just friends. There's no way I'll ever fall for him, or he for me."

She merely stared at me. "Don't be so sure, Lucy. Sometimes the most unexpected things happen. Either of you could fall for the other." She frowned. "Just don't fall if he won't catch you."

* * *

I hugged my books tightly to my chest as I walked into my Calculus class. I had stopped dead in my tracks as soon as I stepped into class, my eyes widening when I saw Gray sitting in a desk by the far right corner.

His legs had been propped up on the seat in front of him and his head leaned back, resting against the wall. A few students were commenting about his sudden appearance. Many of them had turned to look at me, curiously watching to see what I was going to do with my "boyfriend's" surprising appearance. This was the only class I had with him, and he had never showed up before… So why was he now?

I dropped my books on my desk, which was only a few desk away from Gray's, before I went to approach him. His eyes had been closed, and I wondered if he was taking a nap, but then I noticed that he was flipping something around his mouth, and I couldn't stop myself from grinning as I shook my head. He had probably been pretending to sleep to keep our classmates from approaching him.

"Gray?" I said, but I got no response from him. I sighed when I saw two wires running up either side of Gray's face, without a doubt leading to ear buds covered by his jet black hair.

Not knowing how to get his attention, I just sat in the desk next to his and watched as he pretended to take a nap. I smiled when I noticed that his hair had fallen over his closed eyes. I lifted my hand to his forehead and brushed it back, and as I did, I was shocked to find a scar on his forehead. My thin index finger traced it, a small frown forming on my lips as I tried to think of how he had gotten such a scar.

And it had been then that Gray's eyes flew open, locking on mine as I leaned over him. For a few seconds I had stood in that position, frozen as my mind drew a blank. My cheeks turned a deep red and Gray grinned. "What are you doing, Luce?"

I looked away, my flushed cheeks burning as I crossed my arms under my chest. "Nothing." I mumbled.

Reluctantly, I had forced myself to meet his gaze, only to grimace inwardly. Plastered across his face had been an amused grin, the kind that told me he'd probably had to stop himself from laughing.

"So we have Calculous together." He suddenly stated and I only nodded. "You know, if I'd known that I had this class with you, I would have actually come to class." My cheeks turned a deeper red if possible and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah right." I murmured and I heard him chuckle.

"I'm not lying, Luce." He shrugged. "You would have saved me from a lot of trouble. Ur got a call from principal Makarov complaining about me never showing up to this class." He chuckled. "I've never been a fan of math. Don't really know how I've gotten this far really. I guess I'm a really good guesser on multiple choice tests."

I couldn't stop myself from laughing and he joined me after a few seconds. "Maybe you could tutor me?" He then suggested.

I smiled and shrugged. "Maybe." He smirked, already knowing that meant that I really was considering it, and that I would really do it. "But I have to warn you, this isn't my best subject either."

"That's alright." He said, and then he moved his hand up to his mouth, removing the object he had been rotating back and forth with his tongue. I smiled when I saw that the object had been a guitar pick.

"Are you ever going to get your band back together?" I asked, pointing to the guitar pick. Gray shrugged, shoving the guitar pick into his pant's right pocket.

"I don't know. I can't really ask Lyon, not after everything I've done and everything I'm planning to do." He stared down at his desk and I frowned. Right. Gray had betrayed Lyon. He loved his girlfriend, had slept with her, multiple times, and was pretending to date me to get Juvia jealous so she would break up with Lyon and finally choose him instead.

"So why don't you start a whole new band, or just replace Lyon?" I suddenly asked.

"I've actually thought about that before. Gajeel suggested that to me as well not too long ago. I mean, Lyon left the band. I later did too, but he left first. But, I mean, I already feel guilty enough with the whole Juvia situation to also add the guilt of getting someone else to replace him in the band."

"Why don't you just ask him? Whether he would like to rejoin the band or if he's fine with you getting a replacement." I suggested. I then smiled. "You love singing and playing your guitar, Gray. That's just who you are. You shouldn't keep yourself from doing what you love. Plus, you're amazing. You'll most likely make it big with a career in music."

He chuckled. "You really think so?"

I nodded. "I know so."

His eyes widened slightly, locking with mine for a split second. And then he cracked a crooked smirk.

The bell had gone off for class just then, signaling the start of an hour of Calculus. I went off to my seat, but during the entire class, I could feel a certain someone's eyes on me. I would turn every now and then to find Gray staring at me. He would grin and then mouth for me to pay attention to the lecture. I would roll my eyes and grin, mouthing back for him to do the same.

After class, he had walked me to my next class, English. We had stood outside my classroom, waiting for the bell to ring as we watched my classmates walk into class.

"I'll see you in lunch." Gray told me when the bell rung. I nodded and my eyes widened in surprise when he leaned down to kiss the top of my head. He smirked when he saw my flushed face and deftly slid his hands into the pockets of his dark blue uniform pants.

I then looked around us, expecting Juvia to be somewhere near us. Gray only did things like these when she could see us. But she hadn't been there. He had seemed to notice and chuckled. "She's not here, Luce." He told me and I raised an eyebrow. He shrugged. "I can't just give my girl a kiss?" My cheeks felt hot again and I rolled my eyes and shoved him away, making him smirk.

I walked into class after that, avoiding the eyes of my classmates as I walked to my desk, which was on the far back. As the lecture went on, my professor's voice faded away from my ears as I looked out the window, my chin cupped in my hand as my elbow rested on the desk. I couldn't stop thinking about Gray and what he had told me about Juvia and him.

It was weird, if it had been anyone else asking me to pretend to be their girlfriend so they could steal their friend's girl, I would have said no. But Gray, he was different. And after hearing what had happened between him and Juvia, I knew I wanted him to be happy. I really did, even if it meant doing to Lyon what Lisanna and Natsu had done to me. I was terrible. I really had been terrible. But I could understand Gray. I had thought of doing the same thing as well. A deep, dark side of me wanted to use Gray to make Natsu jealous, and more so after I found out he loved me, and he had claimed not to love Lisanna. But I couldn't do that. I wasn't like that. Lisanna had been my friend, and I wanted her to be happy, even if that meant letting her keep the only boy I had ever loved.

I heard the professor ask a girl to pass back our papers, that were now graded. Any other day, I would have been excited to get back my paper and see the grade my professor had given me. But that day, I just couldn't stop staring out the window.

There were excited murmurs going around the classroom as students received their papers.

"Wow, you got a hundred! You must be an amazing writer if professor Porlyusica gave you a hundred!" The sound of a girl's voice yanked my thought's back to the classroom.

I looked up to find a short, blue haired girl standing in front of my desk. She had been extending my paper to me, a huge grin on her face as she pointed to the hundred that was written on the top right corner of my paper.

My eyes had widened a bit and I turned to the front of the class, where professor Porlyusica sat at. She was looking our way, she had probably heard the girl's words. She gave me a small smile and nodded, most likely her way of saying 'good job.' I giggled and took the paper from the short girl.

"I guess." I told her. Her grin widened.

"Have you ever thought of becoming a writer?" She suddenly asked and I raised an eyebrow.

"Not really." I told her, and I had been honest. I hadn't ever really thought of what I wanted to do after high school. My father most likely would want me to take over the Heartfilia company, but that wasn't what I wanted. If anything, being a writer had always been a dream of mine. But I had only thought of it as just a hobby, something I could do in my spare time. It gave me the freedom to create a new world, a world in which I could just be me, and the words made me feel free, alive. I was happy when I was writing. It was just who I was. Music was Gray's passion. Writing was mine.

I then shrugged. "But I can't deny that it is something I really love. I guess I could end up pursuing that career."

Her eyes widened and she smiled. "Can I be the first one to read the draft of your first book?!"

I stared at her for a few seconds, my eyes widening but then a wide grin took form on my lips. "Of course."

Her eyes brightened at that. "Alright! It's a promise then!" She stretched her small hand towards me and I smiled when my cold, skinny hand took hold of her warm, small one. "I'm Levy, by the way."

"Lucy." I told her and we both smiled. We hadn't needed words to know that we would be friends after that. We just knew we were.

After class we walked together towards the library. I wanted to drop off a book and Levy had told me she needed to meet there with a boy she had been tutoring.

"He's quite the troublemaker." She told me and then she grinned as she shook her head. "He's smart. But he just doesn't like to put the effort."

I chuckled, but not so much at her words, but at the blush that had covered her cheeks as she talked about the boy.

As we continued walking down the hall, I noticed all the posters that seemed to have exploded in school promoting the dance and homecoming week. We both stopped to read one of them, a bright hot pink poster that had been taped on one of the double doors leading into the library.

"It's in two weeks." Levy mumbled and then sighed. "I won't be going, though." I raised an eyebrow. She clearly seemed to want to go.

"Why not?" I asked.

She frowned. "I don't have anyone to go with." I thought she had been talking about a boy and said, "Well, you don't need a date to be able to go. You can just go with friends."

The usual sparkle in her eyes dimmed and she looked away. "I don't have any."

My eyes widened. I felt bad for asking and hugged her tightly, taking her by surprise. "What are you talking about?" I suddenly mumbled, acting like I had been hurt. "Aren't we friends, Levy-chan?"

I felt her wrap her arms around me, tightening our hug as she nodded. "Of course, Lu-chan!"

When our hug ended, Levy was rubbing her eyes, probably trying to stop herself from crying. "I'm really happy." She told me and I wanted to cry, too.

I took her hand and smiled down at her and she smiled back, her cheeks a deep red as we walked into the library.

We walked up to the third floor of the library until we reached a table on the far back. And that was when I saw a very familiar, tall, long haired, scary looking, face covered in piercings, boy. My eyes widened, and so did his as soon as we stood right in front of the table.

"You tutor Gajeel?!" I asked Levy. She raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Yeah, I've been tutoring him since the beginning of the semester."

"My counselor made me." He murmured, looking away from us. "It's not like I really need this shit." He then turned to look at me and glared. "You better not tell anyone. And less the damn flirt and your boyfriend."

I grinned. "Yeah, yeah, my lips are sealed."

I turned and found Levy looking up at me with wide and sparkly eyes. "Lu-chan, you have a boyfriend?"

I bit my bottom lip and nodded, hating to have to lie to her. A wide smile took form on her lips. "Who is he?!"

"Gray Fullbuster." Gajeel told her, making me glare at him. She had clearly asked me. He chuckled. "I still can't believe you two are dating. The idea of you two being an item just seems weird."

I rolled my eyes at him, but didn't say anything. We were, indeed, a weird couple. But what I liked about us was that no one knew how similar we really were but us.

"Gray Fullbuster…" Levy started and then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh my God! You're Gray Fullbuster's girlfriend?!" I nodded again, sighing when a library aid came to shush us.

Levy's cheeks turned a deep red in embarrassment but then she turned towards me again and whispered, "I can't believe you're dating him! You guys are like the typical couple in the books I've read. He's the bad boy and you're the good girl! That's so cliche! But cute! You guys are like the perfect couple!"

My cheeks turned a deep red at her words and Gajeel started laughing. "I wouldn't get so excited about Gray and a relationship. That man whore never lasts longer than a week with a girl."

Levy glared at him. "Shut up, Gajeel. You shouldn't say things like that in front of Lu-chan." She then turned towards me again and grinned. "Don't listen to him. I wish I could stay with you and talk about Gray and your relationship instead of having to tutor Gajeel." She pouted and sighed, obviously disappointed.

I laughed when I saw Gajeel narrow his eyes at her. "Don't even," he then smirked. "We both know you really enjoy our time together."

Levy's cheeks turned a bright red. "I do not!"

"We both know you don't mean that." He grinned and Levy glared at him.

"I do!"

I smiled as I watched them. It was obvious that they both enjoyed their time together. "I should get going…" I started and Levy looked up with a frown.

"Can we hang out during lunch tomorrow?" She asked me. There was a hopeful glint in her eyes that made me smile.

"Of course."

She grinned and I waved goodbye as I walked away and headed for the desk in the middle of the room, where I knew there was a shelf for book drop offs.

I walked around the library after that, wanting to check out another book. Should I check out a mystery book? Or how about a nonfiction book? I sighed. I had actually wanted to check out a cliche romance like the ones Levy had mentioned before but I shook my head and weaved my way through the desks and stacks towards the back corner where I knew the adventure and mystery books where at.

I passed by the stacks, scanning the author names on the side, and then I paused.

Juvia was there, she was just a few steps away from me. She was holding onto a book, but she had put it back when she saw me.

"Hey." She started and I only nodded. She sighed. "I've been meaning to speak to you."

I raised an eyebrow. "What about?"

She gave me a small smile. "About Gray." I sighed, already knowing she would say that. "How are you two doing?"

My eyebrows furrowed and then I said,"Fine." I crossed my arms under my chest. "Great, actually."

Juvia raised an eyebrow but still nodded. She didn't seem to believe me. "Be careful around him, Lucy." She suddenly told me. She frowned. "I really don't want you to get hurt again."

My eyes widened at that. She thought Gray would cheat on me? With her? Or with another girl?

"And who would he cheat on me with?" I voiced my thoughts. Her eyebrows rose, shocked at my sudden question. She probably didn't think I would catch on to the true meaning of her words so quickly. And then, because I just couldn't stop myself, I questioned, "You?"

Her eyes widened immediately after that. "W-what are you saying, Lucy?!" Her hands had tightened by her sides, she was shocked, scared that I knew the truth.

I shrugged. "You know what I'm saying. You can't have them both, Juvia." I stared at her without breaking eye contact. "You've already chosen Lyon, right? Or do you still have feelings for Gray?"

She looked away, her frown deepening. "Lyon cheated on me, Lucy. More than once. I was just seeking comfort from Gray."

My eyes widened at her declaration. My hands curled into fists. "You're horrible. Gray loved you, and you knew. Deep down you knew, and you used him. You and Lyon may have a messed up relationship, but you shouldn't have dragged Gray down into this mess."

Juvia nodded. "I know." She then turned towards me and gave me a hard look. "I don't need you telling me things I already know." She took in a deep breath. "Whatever I do or don't do is none of your business."

She turned and left after that. I watched her walk away and sighed. What had I gotten myself into?

I walked away from that aisle and turned the corner towards the aisle on the back of the third floor, where I knew the adventure books were at. I really needed a good book to get my mind off of things. My eyes widened when I walked into the aisle. Gray was there, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, entirely absorbed in whatever book he was reading.

My heart was thudding like a drum at the sight of him. God, couldn't I just have a break? Why had everyone been at the library?! I grabbed a random book out of the shelf, and at the sound Gray looked up. He grinned when he saw me and closed the book he had been reading. "Hey."

I smiled and greeted him back as I sat down on the ground beside him. "It's rare to see you in here." I started and he chuckled.

"I came looking for you." My heart pounded as I blinked at him, trying to fight the blush that he had just induced. I swallowed and looked away. "I was waiting for you for lunch but you never showed up." He leaned ever so slightly towards me. "I had to endure half my lunch with Loke and two of his 'biggest fans.' I just couldn't stand being there anymore."

I grinned. "Sorry. I came here with a friend and decided to check out a book while I was here. I didn't think it would take me so long." I looked down when I thought about my encounter with Juvia. Should I tell him? No. I couldn't. So I didn't, even though I knew I should have.

"Can you hand me your phone?" Gray suddenly asked, taking me out of my thoughts. I raised an eyebrow and he grinned. "I'm not gonna do anything bad to it." He assured me and I sighed as I handed him my phone.

He typed something in it before he handed it back to me. "There. That's my number. Just in case you need me. Or want to talk. Or something." He shrugged. "It would have been useful today. That way we could have just met up somewhere else."

I smiled and nodded. And then I felt him drop something on my hand. I looked down to find his phone there. My cheeks turned a light shade of red when he looked away and mumbled, "I think I'll need your phone number as well. You know, just in case something like this happens again."

I chuckled as I typed my phone in. "Or just in case you need me. Or want to talk. Or something." I shrugged and then I giggled as I repeated his words. He rolled his eyes and took his phone away from me. I laughed at his reaction.

We stayed silent for a few minutes before I whispered, "Did you know Lyon cheated on Juvia?"

I slowly looked up at him. His dark blues eyes seemed darker as he looked away and nodded. "Yeah, Juvia told me." He looked down at me with raised eyebrows. "How do you know that?"

"Juvia told me." I finally confessed. "She also warned me to be careful around you if I didn't want to get hurt again."

Gray sighed and pulled me into his arms. "I told you you were going to be the only girl in my life while we had this going on. I won't do anything to hurt you, Luce." He whispered into my hair and I nodded.

"I know, Gray. I believe you." I whispered back and wrapped my arms around his waist. He stiffened at first but then he relaxed and pulled me closer to him.

"You always smell like vanilla." He suddenly whispered and I blushed.

I looked up at him, his eyes locking on mine. And then, he lowered his face, and gently pressed his lips to mine. My eyes had widened in surprise at first but then I slowly closed them.

Gray's lips were soft, his lips nothing more than a subtle warmth against my own for a few fleeting seconds. That had been enough, however, to set my whole face on fire, my cheeks burning and my whole body becoming ultrasensitive to Gray's touch. Before I had known it, though, it was over, Gray's head slowly pulling away from mine and back up. The whole thing had happened much too quickly, and ended far too soon for me to even realize what had happened at first.

The first kiss we shared had been so gentle that I had barely realized that his lips were pressed against mine.

"Shit, I'm sorry." Gray whispered, an odd flush spreading across his face as he looked away. "I shouldn't have done that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Damn it, did I just complicate things between us?"

My eyes widened and then I couldn't stop myself from giggling. Gray's eyes widened and then he raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"You." I said in between giggles. He looked like he didn't understand and I stopped my giggles to say, "You didn't complicate anything, really." I grinned, but deep down I knew that that kiss had meant something, I just hadn't known what.

He sighed and nodded. "Good."

His deep blue eyes were the last points of light I saw when his lips crashed onto mine again. My eyes widened a second time, this time more confused then the last. Why had he kissed me again?!

I tried pushing him away this time but he enveloped my hands with his easily and brought them around his neck.

My heart beats went into an uncontrollable rate as I felt an answering reaction to his deepening kiss. He must have felt me giving in because he brought me closer to his body. He cupped the back of my head and I inched closer. My hands grabbed fistfuls of his hair. While our first kiss had been innocent, this had been the opposite. And I just couldn't describe it. But we had both wanted it.

We pulled away when a passerby whistled appreciatively. Our breaths had been ragged as we gaped at each other. He looked surprised and well… shocked really. I felt exactly the same. My cheeks darkened as I realized why so many girls stuck to him like bees to honey… My eyes widened. What had I been thinking?!

My face flushed when his eyes caught mine. "Why did you kiss me?" I suddenly asked. I looked up at him and he looked away.

"I don't really know." He glanced at me and sighed. "It's like, something just came over me. I don't know. I've always wanted to know what it was like to kiss you." He shrugged and I blushed. "It was definitely worth the wait."

I felt my blush reach my ears. "You idiot." I mumbled and looked away.

He chuckled. "Sorry." He suddenly apologized and I looked up in surprise.

I sighed. "You don't have to apologize." I shrugged. "It's not like you stole my first kiss or something like that."

He nodded.

I looked down and straightened out my skirt. "Just next time, warn me before doing something like that."

Gray raised an eyebrow, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Next time?"

I flushed furiously, realizing what I had just implied. "Never mind." I barked defensively.

He chuckled. The bell rung then, signaling the end of our lunch break. Gray stood up and held out his hand to me. I looked up at him, feeling my cheeks grow warm as I boldly took his hand and let him pull me up to my feet. We stared at each other after that, neither of us breaking eye contact. And it was then, as I looked up at him, that I realized just how tall he was. It made me feel small next to him, delicate even.

Gray was the first to look away as he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. I looked down when I felt him pull me out of the aisle. We walked hand in hand out of the library.

I squeezed his hand when we passed by Juvia and Lyon, but Gray hadn't seem to notice them. He looked down at me with raised eyebrows, and I knew that was his silent way of asking if something was up. I shook my head and smiled. He smiled back and I felt too flustered to think about anything else.

* * *

My Psychology class had been half empty when I arrived five minutes early on a Friday afternoon. There were excited murmurs going around the room as girls chatted about the upcoming homecoming dance. It apparently was just a week away.

I ignored them and the glances they were sending my way as I made it to my desk.

I had just sat down when Yukino entered the room and literally skipped over to where I was sitting.

"So…" she had started out, and I knew from the mischievous look on her face that it wasn't going to be anything good. "Are you going to ask him?"

I had frowned at her. "What?"

"Oh come on," Yukino had whacked my arm playfully. "Are you going to ask Gray to the homecoming dance? You know it's girls ask guys, right?"

I shook my head. I hadn't known that seemingly important detail.

Yukino frowned. "Well it is! So, are you gonna ask your 'boyfriend' to the dance?"

My hands had clenched into fists and my nails were digging into the flesh of my palms as I said, "No. Gray and I are not really dating so I don't _have_ to ask him to the dance."

Yukino rolled her eyes playfully and said, "Yeah, but don't you want to ask him? I mean, if you don't some other girl may ask him instead. Like, I don't know, Juvia maybe? Or Angel? There are plenty of girls in this school that don't care if a guy has a girlfriend or not, they'll do anything they have to to get the guy they want."

I looked down at my notebook. "Gray probably wants Juvia to ask him, so if she does, then that'll be great, really." I shrugged.

Yukino narrowed her eyes. "But that's not what you want."

"Actually, it is. That's why I'm pretending to date him, so he can get the girl he loves."

She raised an eyebrow and then sighed. "Lucy, don't you feel anything for him?"

I looked out the window and then murmured, "No, Gray is just my friend. I mean, I still kind of have feelings for Natsu, so no."

"If you had to choose now, can you honestly say you would choose Natsu over Gray?"

I opened my mouth, ready to say that I wouldn't choose either of them. Natsu had hurt me and Gray was just my friend. But I closed my mouth and bit my lip. Yukino had turned away and had made her way to her desk. She hadn't expected me to answer her question, but I hadn't been sure I could've answered it anyways.

What was Gray really to me?

I didn't know.

And it scared me to find out.

* * *

 **Author** **'** **s Note: Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter! This one took me a while to get finished so hopefully it turned out well.**

 **A special thank you to ZoeNarutoFairy, AveAtaqueVale, grayluki, and Guest for reviewing the last chapter!**

 **Thanks for reading and until next chapter! :D**

 **Song: Happily Ever After by He is We**

 **Blue**


	5. Chapter 5

We All Have a Story to Tell

Chapter 5

 _Oh Happily Ever After wouldn't you know, wouldn't you know._

I had just finished tying my hair into it's usual side ponytail when I heard my phone buzz. I looked down at it and picked it up from my dresser, smiling when I saw that it was a text message from Gray.

 _I'm outside._

Looking up, I stared into the bedroom mirror hanging above my dresser, my cheeks already turning a deep shade of red as I sighed. Averting my gaze back down at my phone, I quickly typed back to Gray.

Grabbing my bag from my bed, I dashed out my bedroom door and down the staircase.

Gray had asked me if I wanted to join him and his bandmates that Saturday afternoon. They had auditions at Gajeel's house for they needed a new guitarist. Gray had told me that he had talked with Lyon, but apparently his step brother didn't want to join the band again. He had said that the band had caused him enough problems with Juvia and he wanted things between them to continue well.

Walking passed the guards at the front door of my home, I smiled when I saw Gray a few yards away. He was smirking, stomping his foot on his cigarette as I walked over to him.

My eyes widened as soon as I saw what he had been leaning against. A motorcycle.

"Is this why you asked me not to wear a skirt?" I mumbled as I sighed and looked away.

Gray chuckled and I glanced in his direction. "Yeah. Is there a problem?"

I pouted and looked away again. "I've never been on one before." I confessed and he chuckled again.

"That's alright. You'll be fine." He told me. I looked back at him and stared down at the outstretched motorcycle helmet in Gray's hand incredulously.

I was scared, frightened even. I had read plenty of stories in which someone would end up getting in an accident because of these things. I wasn't about to get on and just hope for the best! I needed to be smart, and the smart thing to do was not to get on. I watched the news, I knew these things weren't safe.

And Gray only had one helmet! Was he crazy?! It was not safe for him to ride without one.

Letting out a loud huff, I appraised the dangerous looking motorcycle a second time.

"Can't we walk there?" I asked and Gray shook his head.

"C'mon Luce. Don't knock it before you've tried it." I eyed him warily and he smirked. "I won't crash. I promise. And I'll go slow."

Hesitantly, I took a step forward, narrowing my eyes at Gray.

"How slow?" I questioned as I folded my arms under my chest.

Gray's grin widened, knowing he'd won me over.

"I won't go over 60."

I blinked at him and then I huffed loudly as he laughed. "What? I sometimes go faster than that." I narrowed my eyes at him, ready to scorn him for going so fast but instead I mumbled, "I don't want you going a mile over 30."

Gray half-laughed, half-choked in disbelief as his face contorted in amusement.

He sighed loudly before he murmured, "Alright, deal. You better hurry up and climb on, though. At this rate, it's gonna take us a hell of a lot longer to get to to Gajeel's place."

I rolled my eyes as I took the helmet from Gray. I had awkwardly fit the oversized piece of headgear over my head, sighing when I turned to the motorcycle I was about to get on.

Gray swung his legs over the motorcycle with ease, making me narrow my eyes at him as he grinned back at me. He waited till I'd managed to fumble my way onto the back of his motorcycle before he murmured, "Now that I think about it, maybe it'll be around two hours before we get there. Your house is pretty far out on the outskirts of town."

I looked down and sighed. "Fine. You can't go a mile over 40." I heard him chuckled and then I repeated, "Not one mile over 40, Gray." He chuckled again and nodded.

When I made no move to wrap my arms around him, Gray let out a slight sigh, glancing back at me over his shoulder.

"You know it's not gonna kill you to touch me, Luce. You've done it plenty of times already, so what's the big deal now?"

I flushed and turned my gaze away from his, feeling a little too childish about not wrapping my arms around him. I had been nervous, my heart had been pounding so hard I was afraid he would hear it, and I had had no idea why. It was frustrating, very frustrating.

Loosely wrapping my arms around Gray, I blushed furiously as the motorcycle slowly eased forward, my loose embrace turning into a death grip.

"It's alright. You're okay, Luce." Gray called out to me over his shoulder, taking it slow as he eased the bike out of the Heartfillia residence. My cheeks turned a deeper red as I realized I must have been suffocating him under my death grip, but he hadn't said a word about it.

My body had grown tense and stiff as my thoughts raced through all the possible risks riding a bike had, making it impossible for me to enjoy the actual ride itself. Almost, but not completely.

It had been nice, actually. The warmth of Gray's back pressed against me had calmed my nerves, and it had also helped with the wind billowing furiously around us, lowering the temperature noticeably.

Gray had upholded his part of the promise, staying at 40mph as we made our way down the street. Which helped in calming down my nerves.

After adjusting to the feel of riding on the back of Gray's motorcycle, I found myself almost enjoying the sensation. The experience had an odd sense of… freeness to it. Of course, there were times I got scared, for example when we encountered a rather large bump, or when we took a turn perhaps a little too sharp than I cared for. But that was the fun of it. Letting loose, breaking free, and experiencing new things. That was what being with Gray made me feel, it made me feel free and I liked that.

I had, surprisingly, been disappointed when we came to a stop in front of Gajeel's house.

I had actually enjoyed myself, and I covered the grin on my face on Gray's back, not wanting to admit that to him. My arms subconsciously tightened around Gray and I felt him chuckle.

"Luce, you alright back there?"

Flushing furiously, I drew my hands back towards me hurriedly, doing my best to maintain any sort of dignity I might have still have left as I stumbled awkwardly off of the motorcycle.

After removing the motorcycle helmet, I fixed my ponytail and then handed the helmet back to Gray.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Gray asked, a lazy smile on his face as he motioned to the motorcycle.

I pursed my lips, trying to hide any enjoyment I might had experienced from the ride.

"It was… bearable."

"Really now. Just bearable?" Gray asked, a playful smile on his face.

I raised an eyebrow and then he chuckled.

"You liked it, didn't you?" I rolled my eyes and then shrugged.

"Maybe."

Gray chuckled again, obviously amused by my response.

He took hold of my hand then, pulling me towards Gajeel's house.

Gray rapped on Gajeel's door while I looked across the dreary landscape. The clouds hanging low in the sky were thick and unwelcoming. They promised a deluge in the near future.

Gajeel cracked open his door a few moments later. "You're late, Fullbuster."

Gray chuckled and shrugged, pulling me in with him. Gajeel looked down at me with raised eyebrows and then grinned. "And you brought Bunny Girl. No wonder you were late."

I blushed furiously and Gray punched Gajeel playfully on the shoulder. "Shut the hell up, man."

Chuckling, Gajeel led us through his house and stopped once we go to the basement.

Loke was already there, his guitar strapped on his back as he walked around the room, reading the paper he held onto. I recognized it as the list of the guys that had signed in saying they would like to audition for the band.

"The first one is supposed to be here in ten minutes." Gajeel informed Gray and he nodded.

As I stood there, I noticed a couple of girls sitting by the back giggling as they stared at Gray. I rolled my eyes at them and looked down. My hands were suddenly trembling. Why had I been jealous all of a sudden?!

Gray looked down at me then and smiled. "Do you want to sit back there with them?" I looked up at the girls again and then back up at Gray, debating whether or not to spend a few hours of torture with those girls. "They're Loke's friends." Gray shrugged, probably noticing my discomfort. He chuckled when I made a face, knowing exactly what he meant by 'friends.'"You can sit with me if you want?"

My eyes widened and then I nodded, glad to have a second option. Gray chuckled and patted my head as he led me to some chairs that had been lined up before their 'stage.'

"This is where we practice." Gray tilted his head towards the stage in the middle of the room and grinned. "And it is also where we get together for band meetings."

I smiled and took a look at the 'stage'. The walls in Gajeel's basement were painted black, the wall behind the microphones, guitars, and drums was covered with hanging guitars in different styles and colors. Huge speakers sat on either side of their set up stage, just behind the instruments.

"Do you guys get a lot of gigs?" I asked as I kept looking around the room, noticing the small refrigerator, no doubt full of beers, a couch not far from it and a large plasma tv.

Gray shrugged. "Sometimes. We mostly play at a coffeehouse called Fairy Tail. You've gone to see us there before, right?"

I nodded, my cheeks turning a light pink as I looked up at him. "Yeah, I have." It was a nice place, full of cheerful people. Every time I went I had a lot of fun. "They must miss having you guys."

Gray chuckled. "Maybe." He then looked up at Loke, who was still pacing around the room, mumbling something about having to find the perfect replacement for Lyon.

"Loke claims the manager has called him to ask when we'll be back to play. But who knows." Gray continued telling me and I nodded. I sat down then, Gray sitting down next to me. Then, the basement's door opened and I looked up, expecting to see the guy that Gajeel had told Gray would be there come in. But instead a girl with long brown hair came in. My eyes widened when I noticed who she was.

"Where the hell have you been, woman?!" Gajeel yelled, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared down at the girl, who was grinning from ear to ear, enjoying herself instead of showing any fear to the tall and intimidating male.

"Hey Cana." Gray greeted, scooting closer to me all of a sudden and throwing his arm around my shoulders.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked up at him and he grinned, already knowing that I wanted to know why Cana was here. "She's the band's manager."

And your ex girlfriend, I thought as I looked back up at Cana.

She was grinning as she rubbed the back of her neck and apologized halfheartedly to Gajeel for being late.

She then turned my way and her eyes widened when she caught sight of me. She smirked as she crossed her arms under her chest and said, "Hey Lucy. Whatcha doing here?"

Before I could even utter a word, Gray said, "I asked her to come."

Cana opened Gajeel's fridge, taking out a bottle and popping the top open as she turned towards us again. She winked at me then and my eyes widened, completely taken aback by that. "Oh right, you're Gray's girl." She took a drink from her beer and then looked at me again. "Want one?"

I stared at the sweaty bottle in her hands and shook my head. "I'm alright, thanks."

Cana sighed and nodded, walking towards us and sitting down on the chair beside mine. "Hopefully someone good shows up today." She murmured as she sipped her beer. Gray chuckled and nodded, glancing back at Loke.

"Calm down, dude. I'm sure we'll find someone." Gray called out to his friend, but Loke shook his head and continued pacing around the room, that was until someone opened the door. Gajeel came in first, a brown haired boy with a guitar right behind him.

"There are two others waiting outside." Gajeel murmured as he sat down beside Gray. Loke finally looked up from the paper he held and watched the brown haired boy stand awkwardly in the middle of the room, where their stage was set up at.

Loke walked over to us then and took the seat beside Gajeel's, motioning for the boy to start playing.

This had lasted over two hours, with different guys entering Gajeel's basement and playing their guitars. The guys and Cana would huddle and discuss how good or how bad the guy was and if he was good enough for their band. Gray was the pickiest out of all of them, and not one of them seemed to please him enough. There were times were Gajeel and Loke seemed excited about one of the guys, and Gray just seemed bored.

"What the hell, Gray?!" Loke stood up, a pissed off look on his face as another guy left the basement with a frown.

Gray shrugged, "We're replacing Lyon. We need someone just as good, if not better. None of the guys that have come in so far are near as good as Lyon."

Loke mumbled incoherent words before he sat back down, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at his shoes.

Cana chuckled beside me, taking a swig of her beer. I sighed beside her, after two hours I had lost count of how many she had been drinking. "You're boyfriend is quite picky." She mumbled and I had found myself nodding.

I glanced up at Gray and saw a hard look on his face as he looked at the stage before us, deep in thought.

Gajeel sighed loudly, looking down at a list and then back up at Gray. "Look, I know none of them have been as good as Lyon, Fullbuster. But we need a fourth member. You should give them a chance, man." He crumpled the piece of paper he had been holding and threw it out. "And now there's only one guy left on this damn list."

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. Loke bolted out of his seat, walking over to the door and slowly opening it.

We all turned to see a nervous looking guy walking behind Loke and towards the middle of the room. Loke sat down with a loud sigh, mumbling that they had just wasted an entire day. Gajeel seemed curious, wanting the boy to start playing his guitar. My attention went then to Gray, but I couldn't figure out what he was thinking. He looked intrigued, but I could also tell he was questioning the boys capacity.

I looked back over at the slim, young boy with straight dark hair. His bangs had been covering half of his forehead as he adjusted his guitar, his large eyes then looking back up at us. He was definitely nervous, but I could see the confidence in his eyes.

Gajeel took the paper Loke had been holding and scanned down the list before he said, "You're Romeo Cobalt?"

The boy nodded and Gajeel stared at him with furrowed eyebrows before he gave a small nod, most likely indicating for the boy to start playing.

And he did. My eyes widened as soon as he started playing his guitar. He was good. Way better than those that had come before him. I didn't know if he was better than Lyon, or Loke, or even Gray, but he was definitely great.

Gray's eyes had widen, a small grin forming on his lips. He had suddenly stood up, grabbing his guitar and started playing along. Romeo raised an eyebrow but didn't stop playing. Gajeel was chuckling as he watched them and Loke's eyes were wide as he stared at the younger boy's fingers on his guitar.

Gray was looking down at Romeo with a huge grin, Romeo looking up at him with determination. I could tell Gray was surprised Romeo was keeping up so well and so quickly.

As they played, Gray switched and jumped from style to style and from speed to speed, testing Romeo. The boy seemed to notice, his eyes lighting up and a smile gracing his lips.

They had reached the ending of one of the song's when they finally stopped playing their guitars, Gray chuckling as he ruffled the younger boy's hair. "You're good, kid."

Gajeel smirked, his arms still crossed over his chest as he watched them. Loke was grinning, turning to the back of the room when the girls clapped at the performance they had just viewed. Loke winked at them and they started giggling and I couldn't help sigh.

Gajeel stood up and patted the boy on the back as he said, "I'm Gajeel Redfox. You've got talent, kid."

Loke also stood up, appraising the boy before him before he said, "Nice to meet you, Romeo. I'm Loke Celeste." He held out his hand to the boy and he tentatively took it, shaking his hand.

"And I'm Gray Fullbuster." Gray put an arm around the slim boy and grinned. "Welcome to the band."

I smiled when Romeo's eyes widened a grin forming on his lips as he chuckled and nodded. "Thanks."

Loke eyed the boy some more before he asked, "How old are you?"

Romeo looked up sheepishly and said, "I'll be sixteen in a couple months."

Gajeel nodded. "His age is not a problem." He murmured before Loke could say anything else. Loke sighed and nodded.

"You go to Magnolia high?" He continued with his questionnaire, and Rome nodded. "Yes. I'm a Junior."

Gray raised an eyebrow at that. "Skipped a grade?"

Rome grinned. "Yeah. I got bumped up in elementary."

"Great at playing the guitar and smart. Good thing Gray sent all those other guys before you home." Cana smirked, opening another beer bottle.

Gray's eyes locked on mine and he grinned. I smiled, my cheeks turning a light pink color when Romeo looked at me and then back up at Gray.

Gray then turned to his drunk friend and said, "Romeo this is Cana, the band's manager." Cana waved her beer at him and grinned as she brought it up to her lips. Romeo gave her a nervous wave as he watched her drink. Gray then turned his attention to me as he said, "And this is Lucy. She's my girl."

My heart had started beating very fast and I could feel my blush go up my ears when I heard Gray calling me his girl. He had said that plenty of times before, but I couldn't get used to it. It always made me feel weird and giddy.

Romeo's cheeks turned a light pink color as he looked up at Gray and then at me. I smiled at him as I said, "Congrats, Romeo. And it's nice to meet you."

He grinned. "Thanks, Lucy."

"Well, we should now go out and celebrate!" Loke exclaimed, his arms already wrapped around the two girls that had been sitting on the back of the room.

I stood up at that and grabbed my bag, not knowing whether or not Gray and I would go. He walked towards me and threw his arm around my shoulders and raised an eyebrow, and I knew he was asking whether or not I would like to go out with the guys and Cana. I thought it over for a few seconds, remembering that I had left off on a good part of the book I had been reading but ended up nodding anyways.

Gray grinned and looked up at Loke as he said, "Yeah, that's a good idea. We should probably go over to Fairy Tail's coffeehouse and tell the manager that we'd like to play there again."

Cana stood stood up then, a wide smile on her face as she took out her phone from her back pocket. "No prob. I'll call Mira and tell her we'll be there in a bit. I can talk to her about this once we're there."

"Alright then," Gajeel suddenly mumbled. He looked around the room until he finally turned to look at Gray. "Loke and company can ride in my car, and we'll follow you and Bunny Girl on your motorcycle."

Gray nodded. "Great. Then we'll meet you at Fairy Tail." He smiled one last time in Romeo's direction before he took my hand and lead me out of Gajeel's place and over to his motorcycle.

Once outside, he handed me his helmet, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked up at the cloudy sky.

"He's good, huh?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, pretty amazing actually." I shrugged. "It really was smart of you to wait and hear all of them before you made your decision. And the last one was the one for your band."

He chuckled and nodded. "I actually didn't want to replace Lyon. But we need a guitarist and Romeo's great. I couldn't say no to him."

My gaze softened as I stared at him, a genuine smile on my lips as I looked down at the helmet in my hands. That was until I heard the others step out of Gajeel's place and start making there way into his car.

Climbing onto the back of Gray's motorcycle, I tentatively wrapped my arms around him as he started the bike and began to drive down the road, Gajeel's car following behind us.

After ten minutes on the road, Gray's motorcycle slowed to a stop, Gajeel's car pulling up beside us as we pulled up in front of Fairy Tail Caffee.

I stepped off of the motorcycle, taking off the helmet as I looked up at the large building before me. I had been there before, to see the guys play, but I had never been there during the day.

I heard the others stepping out of the car and heard Cana say something about going in first so she could look for Mira, the manager, and that she would join us again later.

Gray grabbed my hand as we made our way to the front doors. The place was rather huge, but yet warm and comfortable looking. The floors were oak and worn with years of use. The walls were a cream color, with the upper part of the walls consisting of bricks. Dozens of tables, in varying sizes and styles, dotted the wooden floor, except for a twenty foot area in front of the stage that took up one of the shorter walls. Large windows dotted some of the walls as well.

The stage was oak, the wall behind it painted in black, with a huge banner that read Fairy Tail. Huge speakers sat on either side of the stage, pointing towards the crowd. The lights above the stage had been off and the microphones, guitars, and drums sat on the darkened stage.

There was also a long bar along one of the walls. Shelves decorated the wall behind the bar, with every drink imaginable. There were double doors behind the bar as well that led to the kitchen, waiters going in and out every few minutes with the customers' orders. As the doors opened and closed, I could see steel and movement, and hear the clatter of food being prepared.

A large archway, not far from the bar and the kitchen, led to a decent sized room that appeared to have a couple pool tables in it. Continuing down the rest of the wall, a hallway close to the stage that receded around the corner, were signs above it that indicated that restrooms were in that direction.

Gray led me towards a table in the back near the stage. The guys followed us and soon we were all sitting in the round table. Loke was sitting between the two girls he had brought and looked rather pleased as they giggled at his jokes and flirty comments. Gajeel looked up at the stage and commented that they could be playing again soon. Romeo looked excited as he stared at the stage and Gray chuckled at his expression, holding onto my hand under the table.

I looked down at our laced hands and raised a questioning eyebrow at Gray, but he only smiled and held my hand tighter. Sighing I looked around the room, not wanting to think about what Gray was suddenly doing to me. This boy had been confusing me so much that it was irritating me.

 _Lucy, don't you feel anything for him?_

My eyes widened as I thought back to what Yukino had said just the day before. She had been persisting for me to ask Gray to the homecoming dance that was just a week away. She had been persistent that I somehow felt something deeper for Gray than just friendship, and it had made me question what he really meant to me. Was he just my friend? Yes. That was it. But I had no idea why other thoughts lingered in my head. Or why I felt so giddy every time he held my hand. We weren't really dating, just pretending, so I shouldn't have felt giddy, yet I did, and it was driving me crazy.

While I kept thinking back to the conversation I had had with Yukino, I felt someone approaching me from behind. I looked over my shoulder and saw a slim young woman approaching our table, Cana not far behind her. My eyes widened when I saw most of the guys in the tables around us turn and stare at her. She was very pretty, without a doubt one of the prettiest girls I had ever seen, with white long hair, which curled slightly at the ends, her bands gathered and tied upward in a ponytail, and large blue eyes.

"I am so glad you guys are back together!" She cheered once she reached our table, a huge smile adorning her face. "I can't wait for you to start playing here again. My boss will be so happy to hear the news."

The guys nodded as well, clearly glad that they would be playing here again. Romeo seemed the most excited, a huge grin taking form on his lips as he stared at the stage.

Mira's eyes then landed on me and her eyes brightened before she smiled at me. "I don't think we've met before." She extended her hand to me and I took her hand and shook it.. "I'm MiraJane Strauss. But you can call me Mira."

I smiled back at her and said, "It's nice meeting you, Mira. I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

She nodded and then looked from Gray to me and I heard Gray sigh beside me, and she grinned.

"Lucy's my girlfriend." My cheeks turned a dark red when Mira squealed.

"So cute." She then patted Gray's shoulder. "I've never met one of your girlfriends before. This is just too cute. You both look so good together."

Cana cleared her throat at that and Mira turned around and sweat dropped before she muttered, "Oh, right. Forgot. Sorry."

I looked down, feeling a bit awkward and Gray gave my hand a squeeze under the table. I glanced up at him and he smiled, and then mouthed an apology that made me sigh and mouth back to not worry about it.

Mira's eyes had then landed on Romeo and she had asked Gajeel who his cute new friend was, to which Loke answered that he was the band's new guitarist.

Cana had started a conversation with Gray about writing a new song and working on the lyrics of another and I instead turned to watch Mira try to get the details on my relationship with Gray from Gajeel, who only spilled that we had surprisingly been dating for more than two weeks.

Two weeks. Looking up at Gray a small smile grazed my lips as I thought about those two weeks. They had gone by faster than I thought they would. And I had actually enjoyed our time together. I had liked spending time with him and his scary looking and flirty friends. After going through so much I was finally enjoying my life again, and it was in part thanks to him. Yes, I still had regrets and a part of me still wished things between Natsu and I had worked out for the better and that he hadn't cheated on me. I also wished I could go back in time when my mother was still alive. But, I knew that was impossible. Things happened and I needed to move on.

I had been sad, hurt, angry, mad and disappointed for everything that had happened to me. But I still put on a smile and moved on. Only when I was with Gray, I didn't have to force myself to smile and pretend to be okay, because it was effortless and natural. That was what our relationship was, effortless. He was my friend, a friend I couldn't lose, no matter what.

"So, can you guys play next Saturday?" Mira had suddenly asked, and I looked up at her, blinking a few times.

The guys exchanged a look before Gray said, "Yeah, that'll be great."

Loke grinned and Gajeel chuckled, taking a drink from the mug Mira had brought him. Romeo's eyes had widened, obviously excited to play on stage with the other guys.

Mira cheered while Cana sighed and took another drink from a mug I knew very well contained beer.

My eyes had widened as soon as Gray had uttered those words. Next Saturday was the homecoming dance. I looked down, blocking them out as my heart pounded in my ears. I didn't understand why I felt so disappointed. Did I want to go with Gray? No. I couldn't. But…

"Luce?" I looked up immediately at the sound of that nickname. "You okay?"

Realizing I was being silly, I forced myself to smile. "Yeah."

He seemed to consider that for a minute, then nodded.

Mira had brought us something to drink then and he sipped his drink in silence, glancing down at me every now and then.

After we all ordered our food, Mira happily went off to get our orders ready, returning soon after with our food.

It had been nice to be with Gray like this in public, especially with his friends. I had expected to be excluded from most of the conversations, seeing as I wasn't too close to any of them. Gray, however, always made a point to include me, turning to me and explaining whenever I didn't understand something or when an inside joke was mentioned as we ate. Romeo seemed to catch on faster than I did, laughing at their jokes and following to their conversations with ease.

I sometimes didn't understand Gray's friend's sense of humor, but I felt at ease when Gray turned to me, the two of us sometimes carrying on our own private conversations from the group.

Gray seemed to know plenty of people at Fairy Tail. He told me they were regulars and he used to hang out a lot with them when he played here. Some of the guys would smack Gray on the shoulder and say, "Nice, man," while leering at me suggestively. My cheeks would darken each time while Gray would chuckled.

It was already past eight when when Gray decided to leave. Gajeel and Romeo had paired up against Loke and him on a game of pool, while Mira, Cana and I sat on a table not far from them as we alternated from talking to watching them play.

Loke had been too preoccupied checking out a girl to pay attention to the game and Gray was surprisingly not good at all, so they had lost terribly to Gajeel and Romeo and called it quits.

Gray took the seat next to mine as I talked with Mira and her dream to become a professional model, which I knew she would achieve. I had looked up at Gray and he had smiled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and tilting his head towards the door. "Do you want to go home now?"

I looked down at my watch and saw that it was almost ten before I nodded. "Yeah."

Mira frowned, telling me to come by and visit her often and I laughed and said I would, looking up at Gray when he intertwined our hands and pulled me away from Mira. We then said our goodbyes to Cana and the rest of the band before we exited the building.

He gave my hand a squeeze as we walked towards his motorcycle. "Everything turned out pretty good today." He was looking up at the foggy night sky and I smiled.

"Yeah." I squeezed his hand and he looked down at me and grinned.

And for some weird reason, I didn't want to get home, not just yet. But I couldn't bring myself to admit that aloud.

* * *

"We're here." Gray told me once we were outside the gates of the Heartfillia residence. I opened my eyes and blinked a few times as I sighed and unwrapped my arms from around Gray. I had enjoyed the ride back, liking the feel of the night's breeze blowing my hair back.

I got off the motorcycle and watched as Gray swung his leg up off the bike.

"Today was fun." I smiled up at him and he chuckled, shoving his hands inside his pants' front pockets. "Thanks for inviting me."

Gray let out a small chuckle, shaking his head as he said, "Nah, Luce. You don't have to thank me for anything."

I only nodded and looked away. "Well, I'll see you on Monday then."

I was about to turn around and leave, but stopped and looked back when I felt Gray grab onto my arm.

His eyes widened as soon as I looked up at him.

He cleared his throat, an odd expression flashing across his face as he looked towards the direction of the mansion.

"I'll walk you to the door." He mumbled and I couldn't help the small smile spreading across my face as I nodded.

He gave my hand a light tug and led the way past the guards at the gate, who had nodded at me and raised an eyebrow at Gray, but other than that had said nothing.

I had looked at Gray curiously as we walked side by side through the gardens leading to the mansion I lived in. Gray glanced back at me, his expression undecipherable, and I dropped my gaze, looking out at the field of grass instead.

I didn't even realize what was happening as the clouds rolled in. But the downpour was almost immediate.

"Aren't we lucky?" Gray shouted over the noise of the rainstorm, grinning as he shook his head. I could barely see him through the heavy downpour and my hair. I brushed the long strands out of my face. They had been soaked and dripping with rain.

The trees were quaking in the wind and thunder rumbled in the distance. I held tightly onto Gray's hand as we rushed towards the double doors that marked the entrance of the mansion.

The rain had been soaking through my clothing and I had been wishing I had picked out a warmer jacket, though I had been smart enough and wore boots. It was freezing, and it had been penetrating my skin down to what felt like my very bones, and I had been trying very hard not to shiver so Gray wouldn't notice. But he had anyways.

"We're almost there." He reassured me, tightening his grip on my hand. I was only able to nod.

I tried not to jump when another bolt of lightening crackled. I wrapped my arm around Gray, walking closer to him and he gave me a small smile as we approached the mansion. I shuddered from the cold, wrapping my arms tightly on his. Gray pulled me closer and I noticed that his own hair had been plastered against his head along with his clothes.

The wind had whipped my wet hair into my face as I pounded for the second time on the doors, the security guard inside opening the door with wide eyes as he recognized me.

"Miss Heartfilia?! Are you alright?"

I only nodded and pulled Gray in with me. The guard raised an eyebrow at Gray and turned to look at me with questioning eyes. "He's a guest." I told him and Gray looked down at me with furrowed eyebrows before I pulled him away from the entrance and up the staircase.

We had been shivering furiously as I lead the way towards my bedroom and closed the door after Gray came in. He quickly took his boots off, water streaming down both our hair and jeans. I pulled off my jacket and was shuddering so violently that I couldn't make a fist to wring it out.

Gray noticed this and then turned to look around my room, his eyes widening as he realized there was a fireplace in my bedroom. He turned it on and I noticed the small smile that formed on his lips when the logs caught, flaring to life. Without a word he took my arm and gently led me to the fireplace. The warmth washed over me, wave after wave, making my cheeks glow red even as my uncontrollable shivering remained and my teeth chattered loudly.

Gray sat down beside me and ran his hands up and down my arms, wicking away water with each swipe in an attempt to help warm me. What I had wanted to do was bury myself in his arms but I could see he was just as wet and cold as I was. His own shirt was plastered to his chest, clinging to his hard pecs and lean abs. My cheeks turned a deep red and I had to look away.

"I should head home now," he mumbled as he stood up, and my eyes widened, clutching my arms to my cold, wet body as I watched him turn to the chair by the fireplace where he had placed his soaked jacket.

My cold fingers grabbed tightly onto his wet shirt before he could go anywhere. He looked down at me with wide eyes. "Luce?"

My cheeks flushed as I realized what I had just done, and what I was about to say, and I looked down as I mumbled, "You can't drive with the weather like this. It's not safe." I glanced up at him, the pounding of my heart beating heavily against my ribcage. "You should stay here and wait until the storm passes."

We stared at each other for a good minute before Gray sighed and nodded. "Alright." He looked down and then cleared his throat. "Your father… He… He's not home?"

I shook my head. "He left yesterday for a conference. He won't be back until Monday night." He sighed and nodded.

I smiled and stood up slowly. "Stay here. I'll get you something warm for you to change into." I looked over at the chair where he had placed his jacket. "You can lay your clothes out to dry."

He nodded and before I even reached the door of my room, I noticed he had been crossing his arms and reaching for the bottom of his shirt, pulling it over his head in a swift movement. Muscles ripped through his shoulders and down his slim hips. His jeans hung low; low enough that when he turned slightly to lay his shirt beside his jacket I could see the thick band of muscle that led from his abs and disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants. My breath caught and I quickly exited my bedroom before he noticed I had been staring, and rushed towards my father's bedroom to get a shirt and some sweatpants for Gray.

I soon came back to find Gray standing in front of the fireplace, still shirtless and and still wearing his soaking wet jeans. I handed him a clean, dry shirt and a pair of folded black sweatpants.

"Thank you." He smiled. Trying not to rake my eyes over his naked chest, I instead looked down and nodded.

After I handed him the clothes I looked down at myself and flushed when I realized my own white shirt had been plastered to my skin just as his had been. My entire face flamed red when I realized he could see my bra, and I crossed my arms and looked away, more embarrassed than I had been in years.

Gray's eyes had trailed down my body and then snapped back up to my face. His lips parted and I heard his intake of breath. He swallowed hard and took a step back, away from me.

"I-I should go change." I stammered as I turned and rushed to get whatever I could find on my drawers and then slammed my bathroom door shut after I walked in to get changed.

I set my clothes next to my bathroom's sink and sighed. I stepped out of my wet jeans, my skin prickling with goosebumps as I pulled the sodden denim away from my legs. Pulling my white long sleeve shirt off and over my head, I tossed it on top of my pants. My hair had dried a bit from the fire and wispy tendrils fell on my face as I straightened myself in front of the mirror in my bathroom. With a frustrated sigh I slipped off my bra, the cool air against my still moist skin sending a shive down my spin.

I pulled my pink pajama bottom up shirt over my shoulder, quivering as I quickly buttoned the shirt. I then grabbed my pajama pants and quickly changed into them. Untying my blue ribbon, I let my hair fall down my back and brushed it. When I felt I looked presentable, I stepped out of my bathroom.

Gray was sitting in front of the fireplace, dressed in the clothes I had handed to him. My eyes had stayed fixed for a moment on the way the fire made his skin glow. He ran a swift hand through his hair, droplets fanning out as he did, and I turned to get a towel from my bathroom.

I had sat down beside him after, handing him the towel and he had smiled and thanked me. He dried his hair with it as much as he could and then stared at the fire. We stayed like that for a good ten to fifteen minutes. I had turned to look out my window, watching the rain, when Gray cleared his throat. I turned towards him and he grinned.

"It looks like it's not gonna calm down any time soon." He motioned his head towards the window and I sighed and nodded.

I looked up at him and noticed that he had pulled his hair back. I scooted closer to him, and before I could stop myself my fingertips had gone up to softly brush his forehead. I traced the scar that was there. I had seen it before, and I was curious to know how he had gotten it. I came out of my thoughts when a large hand wrapped itself around mine and I looked down to meet Gray's deep blue eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked, searching for the reason to my actions in my eyes.

I bit my bottom lip and looked away. "How'd you get that?" I asked, instead of answering his question.

Gray sighed. "I got in a fight this past summer with some idiot that was dating Ultear. She's Ur's daughter."

"Your guardian's daughter?" I asked, remembering that he had once mentioned that he had been adopted by a woman named Ur.

He nodded.

I smiled. "She must be very special to you."

He shrugged. "I guess. She's like an older sister to me."

I hugged my legs close to my body and mumbled, "It'd be nice if I had siblings. It gets kinda lonely around here with just my father and me."

Gray turned to look at me and frowned, patting my head and pulling me closer to him.

I looked up and Gray looked down at me. Our eyes locked and my heart started racing. I could hear the pounding in my ears and I looked away.

He then cupped my cheek and tilted my head slightly upwards. Our eyes met again and my cheeks flushed. His eyes looked soft, softer than they usually were. He had dropped his gaze towards my mouth and leaned in, gently caressing my cheek all the while.

I felt my eyelids drop as I leaned forward, just a little bit, and I could feel his breath on my cheek.

A bolt of lightning and a crack of thunder so close it rattled the windowpanes in their frames shook us both. Gray and I both startled and turned at the same time to the window in my bedroom. My heart had been pounding loudly. We had been about to kiss. He had been about to kiss me…

Gray pulled away from me after that, clearing his throat as he looked around my room. "Do… do you want to watch a movie or something like that?" He suddenly mumbled and I nodded, bolting up from where I had been sitting and going over to my desk where I kept a couple of movies.

The next two hours we spent them watching a movie. I had made popcorn and we both had laughed as we watched the movie. We had had a good time. And once the movie was over, the rain had passed. I could hear the slight pattern of intermittent drizzle on the window as I turned off the TV. The red light of the alarm clock on my nightstand red 1:32 a.m. Gray stood up and stretched.

He looked out the window and smiled. "It finally stopped." He looked down at me and grinned. "Well, I guess it should be fine for me to go now."

I nodded, walking over to the chair where he had laid his clothes on. I checked to see if they were dry and folded them after I noticed they were. "Here," I handed him his clothes and smiled. "You can change back into your clothes if you want to."

He took his clothes and nodded. "Yeah, thanks."

I was sitting on my bed when he stepped out of the bathroom dressed with his own clothes again. He handed me back my father's clothes and thanked me again.

I sat up and looked down at my bare feet as we stood there for a few seconds in silence. I had suddenly been feeling pretty nervous. My cheeks were warm and for some reason, I didn't want him to go. I wanted him to stay. I just wanted to be with him a little more. I guess I just hadn't wanted to be alone in that huge mansion.

"I guess I should get going then," he murmured and I looked up. He shoved his hands on his pockets and then looked back down. I didn't want him to go. My excuses went from thinking it was too late for him to be out there to just wanting to spend more time with him.

So I uttered, "Or you could just sleep here."

Gray's head shot up, eyes wide in shock, and my face flushed as I realized what he thought I may have been implying.

"O-on my couch o-or on one of the guest rooms!" I sputtered quickly. "It's late and your house is across town and you're probably tired and… D-don't g-get any weird ideas, Gray!"

He flashed me a teasing grin. "Luce, I think the only one having weird ideas here is you."

"I was not, you idiot!" My cheeks flushed in frustration and then I mumbled, "Do you want to stay or not?"

Gray stared at me for a few seconds and then patted my head. "I'll be fine, Luce. Don't worry. I'll send you a text once I get home."

I knew he was going to say that so I wasn't very disappointed, just a little. "Alright."

He smiled and pulled me into a hug. "Thanks anyways, Luce. I really appreciate it."

I hugged him back and nodded. My face flushed when I felt him kiss the top of my head.

He stepped back then and turned to leave.

I quickly grabbed the sleeve of his leather jacket. "Wait." I bit my lip when he raised a questioning eyebrow. "Uhm… About Saturday…" My cheeks darkened as I realized what I was about to do. I had wanted to ask him to go to the dance with me, I wanted to go with him.

He grinned. "Oh, right. Will you be able to go this Saturday to the band's concert?"

I looked down, my determination from before deteriorating as I realized he probably didn't even know about the dance. He had the concert anyways, and that was important to him and the guys. He couldn't go to the dance.

"Oh…" I started, finding the floor very interesting at that moment. "I'll try to make it. But I promised a friend I'd go out with her. So I'll probably not be able to make it there on time."

I wasn't saying I couldn't go because I was mad at him or because I was mad that I couldn't go with him to the dance, but because I had promised Levy I would go to the dance with her. And I never break my promises.

Gray nodded. "Alright. I'll see you on Monday then." He patted my head and I blushed, nodding as I gave him a small smile.

I ended up accompanying him to the front door, wanting to spend just a little more time with him. The guard raised an eyebrow as he opened the door for Gray, who only grinned down at the chubby guard.

Gray stopped just before he stepped out and turned around. I raised an eyebrow, thinking he had forgotten something. He surprised me when his lips touched mine. It had been a quick kiss, but it had still made my heart go in overdrive and my cheeks turned a dark red. "Goodnight, Luce."

A small smile took form on my lips and he grinned. "Goodnight, Gray. Don't forget to text me when you get home."

He chuckled. "Yeah. Don't worry."

And after that, he was gone. I watched him walk down the path that led to the gates until I couldn't make him out anymore.

I turned towards the guard and smiled at him. "Uhm…" A deep blush covered my face as I looked down and mumbled, "Could you please not tell my father about this?"

The guard sighed. "Of course, Miss Heartfilia. I'll pretend I didn't see a thing."

I thanked him and walked back to my bedroom.

That night, as I laid down in bed, I had to keep reminding myself that Gray was in love with Juvia, and that we were only together to get her jealous. I was only with Gray to help him get the girl he loved. I was just his friend. Just his friend. That was it. So why had my heart been pounding so hard all day and why was I feeling butterflies in my stomach every time he smiled?

I didn't know. Or at least I had pretended I didn't. I didn't want to get hurt. Not again.

* * *

"So then we'll go together?!" Levy cheered, her cheeks deep red as she grinned at both Yukino and me.

We had just decided that we would all go without dates to the dance, and just go together. Levy seemed to be the most excited out of three of us. Yukino only gave her a small smile in return as she shuffled through her locker in a daze.

"Yukino?" I asked. She looked away from her locker and towards me, blinking her eyes a few times before she asked, "Yeah?"

"Are you feeling alright?" She looked down and nodded.

Levy was looking from Yukino to me with a frown on her face. "What's going on?"

Yukino forced a grin and said, "Nothing. Everything's fine. I'm just not feeling all that great today. That's all." She closed her locker and turned to Levy. "So should we go buy our dresses together?" Levy's eyes brightened at that, and I sighed, knowing Yukino was only trying to change the subject. "We should probably go today. I mean, the dance is in two days."

Levy nodded and I mumbled, "Yeah, we should. I don't have any plans today anyways."

"Are you guys having problems with your boyfriends?" Levy suddenly blurted out.

I shook my head and looked up when Yukino almost yelled, "What boyfriend?!"

Levy and I exchanged a look and Yukino's entire face became a bright red color. "I mean, I don't have a boyfriend. So...uhm… I'm not having any problems."

Levy blinked up at her. "You don't? I thought you did." She looked down at the floor and then glanced up at Yukino again. "It's just… I saw you a couple times at the library with a boy and I thought he was your boyfriend."

Yukino's eyes widened and she opened her mouth, as if trying to come up with an excuse but not being able to find the right words.

I raised an eyebrow. "What boy?"

Levy shrugged. "I never saw his face. But I did see Yukino with the same blond haired boy a few times."

Yukino's eyes widened again, her hands moving frantically in front of her. "He's just a guy from my history class that asked me to help him study for the exam!"

She was looking down and I knew she was lying.

Levy, however, had seemed to believe her and only nodded. "So at what time should we meet to go dress shopping tonight?"

I looked down at Levy and shrugged, glancing up at Yukino before I said, "Any time is fine with me."

Levy grinned and I saw Yukino sigh, probably still agitated from our previous conversation.

"How about we meet at the mall at five?" Levy was looking through her phone's agenda, and looked up at Yukino and me once she found an hour that was good for her.

"Five sounds good to me." I told her and Yukino nodded.

We were still standing by Yukino's locker when we heard loud laughter and basketballs being bounced and thrown from person to person as the basketball players walked down the hall.

Levy sighed loudly, mumbling, "Loud jocks approaching." She covered her ears with her small hands as soon as they passed by us.

I looked over at the group, already looking for a pink haired boy. My heart was beating fast once my eyes fell on him. He was laughing loudly, his usual warm grin plastered on his face as he caught the ball one of the guys threw his way. As soon as he had caught the ball, his eyes had landed on me and my cheeks turned a deep red and I looked away.

When I glanced back up, I noticed he was still staring at me and he gave me a small smile, waving at me.

I started to raise my hand, in attempts to wave back, but I had stopped myself and looked away.

Right beside me, Yukino was looking in their direction as well. A frown traced her lips as her eyes followed one of them. I had barely caught when Sting looked our way, his eyes softening when he caught sight of Yukino, a small frown adorning his face, but quickly disappearing when one of his teammates dropped an arm around his shoulders and blocked his view of Yukino.

Yukino looked down after that, her frown deepening. I furrowed my eyebrows as I tried to figure out what to do with what I had just seen.

So the boy Levy had seen Yukino with at the library had been Sting? Had something happened between them? My eyes widened when the dots starting connecting in my head. Yukino had told me she had been going out with a certain guy more than once, but she had never mentioned his name or if he went to our school. Had it been Sting?

Sighing, I poked Yukino's cheek as she kept looking down at the floor. She looked up at me with a puzzled expression. I gave her a small smile. "Are you really alright?"

Her eyes widened a little and then her frown deepened. She shook her head, and I was surprised she had admitted it. "I'm not. But… I just don't want to talk about it."

I nodded. "Just know that I'm here for you, Yukino. I won't judge you, I promise."

Her eyes widened again, her cheeks turning red as she blinked her eyes a few times, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She gave me small smile and nodded as she rubbed her eyes. "I know, Lucy. Thank you."

I smiled, giving her a side hug. Levy watched us with a small smile and said, "I'm here for both of you, so if either of you ever feel down, don't hesitate to tell me anything."

I giggled and Yukino did as well. "Thanks, Levy-chan." She grinned and hooked her left arm with my right arm and her right arm with Yukino's left, pulling us down the hall and towards the dinning hall.

It was then that I realized I had finally found real friends. I had finally felt like I belonged somewhere. I wasn't lonely anymore.

* * *

"Lu-chan! Are you done putting on your dress?! The dance starts at seven so we should probably start heading out now."

I sighed when I heard Levy's voice. I turned towards the mirror and looked at my reflection. Levy had chosen my dress. It was a light blue, sleeveless lace bodice cocktail dress, with an open back and a sparkling waist. As I stared at the mirror, I couldn't help playing with the tulle skirt with curled hemline.

When Yukino had finished doing my makeup and hair, I couldn't stop studying my reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the girl staring back at me as myself.

I had done my makeup before, but I had never worn as much as I did that night. My eyes seemed bigger and my lips fuller, in a light pink, shimmering color. Yukino had also tied my hair up into a side bun with a braid, stating I could not go to the dance with my usual side ponytail.

That night I had felt like a princess. I felt beautiful.

Taking one last looked on the mirror, I sighed and turned the doorknob, stepping out into my bedroom.

Levy gasped when she saw me and clasped her hands to her mouth.

"Oh, Lu-chan," she said softly, looking at me and smiling. "You look beautiful."

I blushed, smiling as I said, "Thank you. You look really pretty as well."

She giggled, her cheeks turning a light pink color as she looked down at the yellow halter dress she had picked out for herself. She had done her hair in her regular hairstyle, tying it all back with a white headband.

"Gray isn't going to be able to keep his hands off of you when he sees you later tonight." Yukino said, a wide grin on her face as she glanced over at me. She was sitting down on my bed, slipping on her high heels. She had picked out a cream colored, knee length dress with a plunging neckline, and she had adorned her short hair with a thin gold band around her head. It was simple yet classy.

I rolled my eyes at her. "He probably won't even notice." I murmured, knowing very well that Gray only had eyes for Juvia. That somehow made my chest tighten.

Yukino frowned, understanding what I meant. Levy shook her head, oblivious to my real relationship with Gray. "Of course he'll notice! He really likes you."

I had been expecting her to say that because he was my boyfriend he would notice, but her words really surprised me, making my cheeks redden even more.

Yukino grinned at that. "Yeah, he does. It's really obvious."

I glared at her. "Right."

"So we'll leave the dance early to go see the guys' concert?" Levy asked as we started making our way out my room and down the staircases.

I nodded. "Yeah. The concert doesn't start until ten so we can leave the dance a little after nine and make it just in time."

Yukino wrapped an arm around me and smiled, "This is going to be a great night."

I smiled up at her and mumbled, "I sure hope so."

After we got into the car my father had had rented for us that night, I couldn't stop looking at my reflection in the car's window as my father's chauffeur drove down the street. Would Gray really like how I looked? Would he notice? My heart started beating so fast after that and my cheeks had become very warm.

I took out my phone from my purse and quickly sent a text to Gray.

 _Good luck tonight!_

I sighed as I stared at it. Was it weird to send him texts like these? I wasn't really his girlfriend, so would he find it weird? My head was spinning when I felt my phone buzz.

I looked down and my cheeks reddened even more if possible when I saw that it was a text from Gray.

 _Thanks Luce. I'll see you tonight?_

I had been grinning from ear to ear as I texted him back.

 _Of course. I wouldn't miss it._

I felt a little too bold but I still sent it. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Yukino and Levy whispering and pointing at me as they giggled but I chose to ignore them as I looked down at my phone.

I didn't know whether to expect another text from Gray or not, but when he answered, my heart almost jumped out of my chest.

 _Great. I was worried you wouldn't. I kinda decided on my own that you would be my good luck charm tonight._

My heart was pounding really hard as I re-read his text again and again.

My hands had been trembling as I texted him back.

 _Really?_

 _I swear. I told you before, Luce. I don't lie._

A small smile had spread across my face.

 _I believe you. I'll see you later._

 _Alright. Have fun. Oh, and say hi to Yukino and Levy for me._

I giggled, turning to my still whispering friends and said, "Gray says hi."

Levy smiled and Yukino grinned. "Tell lover boy to break a leg." Yukino winked and I rolled my eyes at her.

I had put my phone back on my purse when I noticed we were approaching the hotel the dance had been at.

I hadn't told Gray I was going to the dance, he only knew I was going out with Yukino and Levy. I didn't tell him because I didn't want to, more like every time I had tried to bring up Saturday events, he would start talking about the band's concert. He was very excited, as were the other guys, and after trying a couple of times, I gave up in telling him the truth.

A part of me, the delusional side of me, thought that if I told him I had been going to the dance, he would have felt bad about not being able to go with me, and I wanted him to focus on what was important to him. The more realistic part of me thought that maybe he would like to use this dance as a chance to get Juvia to see us together, and I didn't want him to take me to the dance based on just that reason. God, what was going on with me?! I still didn't know. Lie. Lie. Lie.

Once we stepped inside the hall the dance was taking place at, I could see people had already started to dance to pop music that was blasting through the walls. It was a gigantic room with a large chandelier in the center. Despite the size of the chandelier though, the room was not very brightly lit, which had probably been best for the couples who were dancing so close to one another that it was hard to tell where one of them ended and the other began.

We had walked straight to the dining table in the back of the room that had been lined with drinks and desserts. Yukino had dipped marshmallows into the chocolate fountain, a huge grin on her face as she claimed they were the best marshmallows she had ever had.

Levy was eating and moving to the rhythm of the music, telling us to eat fast so we could get to dancing.

I had giggled at her excitement.

It had been close to eight o'clock when Levy finally dragged us onto the dance floor. Yukino had pouted as she had to leave her desserts back at our table, but after a few of the songs she liked came up, she started to enjoy herself. Levy seemed to really like to dance, not really caring for the song and just dancing to whatever came up.

I had just started to get into the whole dancing thing, when I saw Natsu not far from where we hand been dancing. He was sitting down at a table nearby, with some of his basketball teammates. I couldn't see Lisanna anywhere near him, and it made me question whether or not he had come to the dance with her.

The weirdest part however, had been when I noticed he wouldn't stop staring at me. I would look down at the floor or at my friends for a while and then glance up at him again to find him still staring at me. It had made me uncomfortable at first but I later ignored him.

And I had gone back to just dancing with my friends and not caring about anything else, until I felt someone tap on my shoulder.

I turned around and found Natsu standing there, wearing a classic black suit. "Hey Lucy," he said while grinning that grin that used to make my stomach fill with butterflies. Now I felt nothing. And it had surprised me.

I swallowed and then forced myself to speak. "Hi," was all I'd managed to say.

His eyes had then swept down my body, taking in my dress and my nude heels. I could feel my face begin to get hot, and I had been feeling a bit uncomfortable. He had been checking me out and it had somehow made me angry, flattered, and embarrassed all at the same time.

I forced myself to look away and looked back at Yukino and Levy. My short friend had looked confused while Yukino had a scowl on her face as she stared at Natsu.

I glanced back at Natsu, ready to ask what he wanted but he smiled and asked, "Dance with me?" He had offered me his hand and I had blinked down at it, not knowing what to do.

I looked back up at him, and I felt that old part of me, the part of me that had loved him, scream at me to take his hand. And it had somehow won over any other coherent thought in my mind at that moment.

I gave him a hesitant nod, taking his hand and he guided me towards the middle of the dance floor. I looked back at my friends and saw a wide eyed Levy looking from Natsu to me. Yukino's eyes were just as wide, completely shocked by what I had just done.

But it hadn't been like I was cheating on Gray, since we weren't really dating. Yet, I felt guilty, like I was doing something I shouldn't have been doing.

Natsu wrapped his arms around my waist as a slow song started to play, his hands on the small of my waist, and his cheek against the side of my head.

Hesitating just slightly, I had wrapped my arms around him and leaned my head down on his shoulder. "Why did you ask me to dance with you?"

I felt him shrug. "I don't know. I really couldn't stop myself. You just look so beautiful."

I rolled my eyes. "So where's Lisanna?"

He chuckled. "She broke up with me."

My eyes widened and I leaned back and looked up at him. "What?!"

Natsu had been frowning and he looked down. "I was surprised at first as well, but then I realized I hadn't been a great boyfriend. She probably noticed I still held feelings for you."

I looked away after that, feeling slightly guilty.

"This is not your fault, Lucy. If anyone's at fault it's me. I messed up our relationship for something stupid. And I ended up hurting you both." I blinked up at him, giving him a small smile. He had always been quick to tell what I was feeling.

"Do you love her?" I had suddenly questioned and his eyes widened.

He looked at me curiously for a minute, a frown taking form on his lips.

"Do you?" I questioned again, feeling a little impatient.

He sighed. "I think so." I raised an eyebrow, I had been clearly confused by his answer. "It's just…" He looked at me and gave me a small smile. "I think I still love you."

I bit my bottom lip and looked away. "Natsu…" I started and then sighed. "You and I..." I stopped and shook my head, frowning as I looked up at him. "I think you should be with Lisanna."

He raised an eyebrow, probably not expecting me to say that. I had been surprised as well. But I smiled when I realized why I had said that. I was finally moving on, and being with Natsu again would only mean I was going back to the heartbroken girl that wanted to get back together with the jerk that had broken her heart.

"Are you saying that because of Gray?"

My eyes widened at his question.

"No- I- Natsu- I-" I looked down, my heart beating so fast that I could barely make out the music playing in the background. "It's not…"

I couldn't even finish the sentence. Was it partly because of Gray? Maybe. But I hadn't been sure. Or at least I didn't want to admit to it, and less to Natsu.

"Wouldn't he be mad that you're dancing with me right now?" He suddenly muttered and I looked up to find Natsu scowling at the floor.

I frowned. I hadn't known whether or not Gray would be bothered by me dancing with my ex-boyfriend. He probably wouldn't. All he wanted from me was to pretend to be his girlfriend so he could get Juvia. That was all.

I shrugged, not thinking Natsu would notice and mumbled, "Maybe."

Natsu's eyes hardened. "Do you really like that guy?"

My mouth thinned as I looked down at my feet. I knew I had to say yes, I had been pretending to date him, so of course I had to like him.

But when I looked up at Natsu, and our gazes locked, I forgot everything about Gray and I pretending to be a couple. I was instead acting as if we had actually been dating.

My heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear myself as I answered Natsu.

What I had told him that night hadn't been me pretending, it had been the truth. I had finally confessed what I had been feeling for the past week, or maybe a little longer.

"I do. I like Gray."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Soooo, what you guys think of the chapter? Like, hate it, love it? Please leave a review and let me know!**

 **Thank you so much to those of you that have reviewed, favorited, and liked my story!**

 **Thanks for reading and until next chapter ;)**

 **Blue**


	6. Chapter 6

We All Have a Story to Tell

Chapter 6

 _Oh, skip to the ending_

"I like Gray." I repeated, my eyes widening as I realized what I had said.

Natsu's eyes were just as wide as he stared down at me.

I bit the insides of my cheeks and looked away. I didn't know what to do or say. My wide eyes looked down at the dance floor as my heart beated at a fast rate.

A slow song continued to play on the background, and couples all around us were putting their arms around one another, swaying to the beat of the song.

I looked back up at Natsu and frowned as I pushed away from him and muttered, "I need to go."

I had already turned to leave, but stopped when I heard him say, "Lucy?"

Turning back around I gave him a small smile. "You should talk to Lisanna. Don't mess up this time around, Natsu."

He frowned and looked down and with that I turned around and quickly slid away, weaving between the couples in the crowd to make my way towards the restroom. Thankfully, it had been empty.

There had been a couch in the restroom and I sank down on it, suddenly feeling very exhausted.

My arms were shaking as I stared blankly down at the floor. What had I just done? What had I just said to Natsu? Had I really confessed my feelings for Gray to Natsu? How had I really felt about Gray?

I liked him.

My mouth fell open and my eyes widened even more as I realized that I really did like Gray. I liked Gray.

I looked up and saw my reflection in the mirror. The light blue dress I had been wearing was beautiful, and Yukino had dolled me up very nicely. I looked so different from how I normally did. I hadn't even worn my glasses. Yukino has forced me to wear contacts, saying I would ruin all her hard work if I covered my eyes with my glasses. But the girl that looked back at me then in the mirror looked like a deer caught in headlights. Had that really been the first time I had clearly admitted that I had feelings for Gray? I had felt something for a long time, but I had been too afraid to acknowledge it.

I could hear the sound of the upbeat song that was playing outside, although it was dulled somewhat in the restroom walls. I leaned back on the couch and decided I would move once the song ended.

The song did eventually end, but I still didn't want to get up. I fiddled with the folds in my dress a bit, then finally I got up, sighing loudly as I made my way towards the sink to wash my hands. I had been reaching for the paper towel when someone walked into the bathroom.

I had heard the clatter of heels and looked up, seeing Yukino staring right back at me in the mirror. She looked surprised to see me there, but I had been even more surprised. She had been crying.

The rims of her eyes were red, and even the tip of her nose was red. My eyes widened and my mouth opened as I tried to come up with something to say to my friend but Yukino had walked passed me and towards the sink next to mine. She had leaned on the marble counter over the sink and she had been sobbing. Her elbows were on the counter, and her face had been in her hands as the sobs wracked her body. I could see her shoulders moving up and down as she cried into her hands.

I frowned and put my hand on her shoulder. "Yukino?" I had never been good with dealing with situations that involved people crying but I wanted to help my friend.

Finally, I reached for a paper towel and handed it to her, although she couldn't see the gesture because her head was still in her hands.

"Don't cry." I whispered, my hand on her shoulder tightened as I mumbled, "It'll mess up your makeup."

Yukino just shook her head. Her sobs had been getting softer, but I could still see the tears stream down her hands and onto her forearms, or down her face and onto her chin.

"I don't care." She muttered, still shaking her head.

I took back the proffered paper towel, unsure of what to do. We were silent for a while more and I sighed. "Look Yukino, I don't really know what to do or say. But I'm here for you and I want to help you." My hands curled into fists when she shook her head again. "If Sting did anything-"

I stopped when Yukino finally looked up from her hands. Her eyes were wide as she stared at me. She then looked back down and muttered, "This has nothing to do with Sting."

I sighed. "You're just as bad as me when it comes to lying." I grinned when I heard her chuckle.

"Yeah, I know." She whispered and then looked back up, but this time she looked into the mirror. Her mascara was messed up from the tears, and she hastily tried to wipe away some of the smearing.

"God, I'm such a mess." She sighed and finally took the paper towel from me. "You know, tonight was supposed to be fun."

I frowned and she sighed. Her hands curled over the sink and she looked down again. "I just… Why did it have to be him?"

My eyes widened when she looked back up and gave me a small smile. "Lucy, how do I make this feeling stop?"

I looked down and shook my head. "I don't know." I whispered, remembering my own feelings for Gray.

She gave me a small smile and nodded. She rubbed her face with the paper towel I had given her and sighed loudly. "Falling in love sucks."

I shrugged and looked at my reflection in the mirror as I whispered, "I used to think so too. But… I don't think it's that bad."

Yukino raised an eyebrow and then laughed. "You're just saying that because of Gray, aren't you?"

My eyes widened and I looked down. "No…"

She giggled. "It's okay if you like him, Lucy." I looked up, my eyes widening even more when Yukino shrugged. "Look, I know it's hard admitting it. It was hard for me too. But that's only because I fell for the biggest jerk of them all. But Gray, I don't know, he's changed. And I think it's all because of you."

I grabbed my left arm and looked away. "Him changing has nothing to do with me. He's doing it all for Juvia."

Yukino sighed loudly. "God Lucy, you really are thick headed sometimes." She shook her head and grabbed another paper towel. "Gray's probably just as confused as you are. I don't know how you two idiots could agree to something like pretending to date. One or the other would end up falling for the other. But…" She grinned when she looked back at me. "I think he feels the same way. Or maybe the idiot hasn't noticed, but he's probably confused about his feelings for you."

I smiled. "I like him." I confessed to my friend and her eyes widened at my sudden confession. But then she started laughing.

She shook with laughter and said between laughs, "That just came out of nowhere."

I giggled and nodded. "Yeah, sorry." She rolled her eyes and mumbled something about looking horrible before I whispered, "Thank you."

She looked back at me with furrowed eyebrows and I shrugged. "Thank you for being such a great friend to me." Her cheeks turned a light pink color and she pulled me into a hug.

"You dummy." She muttered and I laughed.

We pulled away after a few seconds and then I told her, "I don't know much about your relationship with Sting, but I'll support you in any way I can."

Her eyes widened and she looked away, a small smile taking form on her lips. "Sting and I are a mess. I love him. But I don't think we'll ever be together." She glanced up at the mirror and sighed. "That idiot just doesn't know what he wants and I can't be with someone like that."

I bit my bottom lip and nodded, not knowing what to say. I hated not being able to help her as much as she helped me. She seemed to noticed this and smiled. "It's okay, Lucy. I kinda knew from the beginning that Sting and I would never work out. I just…" She shuddered, trying to hold back a fresh wave of tears that had been threatening to come out. "I just hoped he'd change."

It had been then that someone opened the door. Levy had walked into the restroom, her eyes wide as soon as they landed on us.

"Are you two okay? I was so worried when I couldn't find either of you! Both Natsu and Sting didn't seem to know where you two had gone off to!" She ran towards us and hugged us. Yukino smiled and I giggled.

"We're fine, Levy-chan. Thank you." She grinned up at me.

Yukino sighed then and stepped away from our hug. "I'm over this dance. So why don't we head over to the concert now?"

Levy and I glanced at each other, both of us smiling when we looked back up at Yukino and nodded.

* * *

As my father's chauffeur pulled up in front of Fairy Tail, I gaped in awe, marveling at the crowd that had gathered outside of the shop. It was mostly composed of teens, though there were a few people there that looked a bit older.

"All these people… they're all here to see Gray and his band?" I asked, my eyes widening as I looked out the window.

Yukino grinned. "Of course." She opened the door and got out, Levy right behind her. I was suddenly nervous, and I could feel my arms and legs shaking. Yukino sighed and grabbed my hand and lead me through the crowd.

"They're so popular!" Levy's eyes were sparkling as she looked around the huge crowd. "I didn't think they were this successful."

"Yeah." I smiled, tightening my grip on Yukino's hand as she pulled me through the crowd towards the front of the line. "If anyone's got a chance of making it big, it's Gray."

Yukino grinned back at me and Levy giggled.

As we kept walking towards the front of the line, I realized that the people in line were giving us dirty looks as we pushed passed them. I stopped walking then and Yukino turned around with raised eyebrows.

"Wouldn't it be better if we waited at the end of the line like everyone else?"

Yukino laughed. "No way." She shook her head and Levy and I exchanged a look. "We're not waiting an hour back there like everyone else." She grinned and showed me her phone. "Cana just texted me. She's waiting for us at the front of the line with a VIP pass. Do you really think Gray would make his girlfriend wait in line like everyone else?"

My cheeks turned a dark red and she laughed as she continued to pull me towards the front of the line. Cana had stood behind the admissions guy and she had said we were with her, handing us each a VIP pass as she led the way inside.

"I'm sure Gray's gonna be glad to hear his girlfriend is finally here." Cana grinned, winking at me as we walked side by side. I flushed and looked down, making Cana chuckle.

As we made our way inside Fairy Tail, I couldn't help myself compare the coffee shop to a teen club. There were flashing lights by the stage in the back and tons of people chatting excitedly and gazing in anticipation near the stage. Aside from a few microphones, and a set of drums, the stage itself appeared relatively barren.

"Where are they?" I yelled, my brows furrowing slightly in confusions as we reached the front of the stage. I could barely hear myself over the loud chatter of everyone else around me.

"They'll be here. Those idiots have a habit of starting their shows late. That's what happens when you have a band full of morons." Cana sighed loudly and shook her head, glaring up at the stage as she checked her watch.

Yukino and Levy stood just behind us, squealing as they looked up at the stage. As I looked around the crowd, I couldn't help feel a little embarrassed as a couple of girls pointed in my direction and giggled. I had been way overdressed for the occasion. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked down.

Cana had suddenly nudge my shoulder. "So how was the dance? Have fun?"

I smiled up at her and shrugged. "Yeah, it was okay."

She grinned and Yukino wrapped an arm around my shoulder and looked over at Cana as she asked, "Doesn't she look pretty, Cana? All these jealous bitches are looking at her because she's the most beautiful girl here!"

Cana nodded and then busted out laughing when the girls that had been staring at me before shrieked when Yukino turned towards them and glared.

"Why didn't you tell him you were going to the dance?" Cana suddenly asked me, and Levy yelled, "What?! Lu-chan why didn't you tell Gray you were going to the homecoming dance?"

I looked down and sighed. "I tried. But he had more important things on his mind. I didn't think he'd care."

Cana shook her head. "He did. When Yukino told me you guys were at the dance and I told Gray, he seemed pretty bummed out that he couldn't go with you. That idiot is so fucking love struck."

My cheeks turned a deep red and Yukino tightened her arm around me and grinned at me. "See Lucy? He really does care about you."

"Well duh!" Levy exclaimed. "He's her boyfriend, so of course he really likes her!"

Yukino and I chuckled and Cana rolled her eyes as she grinned.

It had been then that the crowd let out a loud scream as the lights on the stage flickered on.

"This is it." Yukino said, nudging me and pointing towards the stage.

I had barely been able to make out the four silhouetted figures stepping out from behind the curtains near the back of the stage and into the light.

My eyes widened as soon as I saw Gray. He looked… very charming. More than usual.

Standing in front of me, on stage, with his hair styled, and wearing black skinny jeans, a tight black tee that flattered his form perfectly, and a guitar slung across his shoulder, he looked totally and completely in his element, like his very presence demanded everyone's attention. Stepping up to the microphone, he afforded the crowd a crooked smile, raising a hand and waving.

"Hey everyone!"

The crowd did it's best to shout an audible 'Hi' back amidst all the cheering that was still going on. For a second, his eyes scanned the crowd, as if he was looking for someone.

"Look!" Yukino suddenly exclaimed and I looked back at her with raised eyebrows. "He's looking for you!"

Cana chuckled. "That pathetic little pussy."

Levy giggled as she grabbed my arm. "C'mon Lu-chan, raise your hand up so he can see you!"

Sighing, Cana shook her head. "You're right under that idiot's nose and he can't see you. Levy's right, you should raise your hand or something, 'cause he's not gonna find you otherwise."

I shook my head furiously. "No." I crossed my arms over my chest, my cheeks a deep red as I mumbled, "Right now it's not the right moment."

Yukino rolled her eyes and sighed. "God Lucy, you are so pathetic. Just let the poor guy know you're here."

I glared at her and shook my head. Yukino's eyes narrowed and she sighed again. "Stubborn as always."

"Let's get this started!" Loke had suddenly yelled into the mic, making me look up at the boys on stage. The crowd around me clapped, screamed and cheered as Gray lowered his hands and began to play, joined by the rest of his band before leaning forward a second later and grabbing the mic in his hands. Opening his mouth, the sound that escaped Gray's lips had me taking a step back. It was even better than I had remembered.

Gray was very talented. He always sounded positively breathtaking. I was sure I would one day be hearing him broadcasted over some radio station. He would make it big. I was more than sure about that.

His voice was impossibly smooth and harmonic, while somehow being harsh and edgy at the same time. Looking around the crowd, I had noticed that half of them came from Magnolia High. Some of them wore their suits and dresses, also coming here right after the dance, other's wore regular clothes, and I had guessed they had changed before coming here or hadn't gone to the dance.

Looking up at Gray I couldn't stop myself from smiling. They were going to make it big one day, and we would all be able to say we'd known them way back when they were just some band from a small town.

That night I had found myself enthralled, never taking my eyes off of Gray. This was a side of him I had always loved. He looked like he was born to sing, like it came second nature to him. This was his passion, it was who he was. And that night, seeing him up on stage doing what he loved, made me like him even more.

Yukino had nudged me again when Loke announced they were almost done for the night. I looked back at her and she pegged me a hard look.

"C'mon, Lucy. You need to at least let him know you're here and supporting him."

I frowned slightly, shaking my head as I looked away. "No, I don't want to interrupt his singing."

Yukino wrapped an arm around my shoulder and I looked back to see her grinning. "Trust me, Lucy. I'm sure he won't mind, not if you're the one doing the interrupting." She winked at me and I blushed.

I had began to protest a second time but a devilish smile had been spreading across Yukino's face as I stumbled over my protests. She took a deep breath before jumping up and down and screaming at the top of her lungs, "Hey! Gray! You blind idiot! Lucy wants to say hi!"

Cana was laughing and crossed her arms over her stomach as she stared at Yukino. Levy's eyes had widened at first but then she giggled. My eyes had widened and my mouth had fallen open in disbelief as I cursed my friend. I glared at Yukino and she shrugged, my cheeks turning a hot red as I looked up at Gray. He had glanced around, still singing while his eyes scanned the crowd for the source of the outburst.

Flushing, I froze when Gray's eyes connected with mine, drifting away for a second as if he hadn't recognized me before he did a double take. He had grinned at me as he singed and I couldn't stop myself from grinning back. However, his eyes soon left mine.

His eyes had widened then, messing up on his next line as he blankly stared at something. I looked back, trying to find what he had been staring at. My eyes widened when I saw her, my heart beating loudly in my ears. Juvia was there, standing a few steps behind us. Lisanna was beside her. Juvia's eyes had widened as soon as Gray's eyes found hers.

Looking back up at Gray, I saw his cheeks turn a deep red and Yukino and Levy squealed beside me, thinking he was excited to see me. I couldn't move, I just stood there, blankly staring up at Gray. It was as if a heavy feeling had sunk deep into my chest and I couldn't squash it. It had all made sense. Gray hadn't been looking for me before. It had been Juvia. He was waiting for her. It was never me. How foolish could I be?!

Tears had suddenly blinded me as I looked down. I had barely been able to make out the music playing as I listened to my loud heart beats.

I was an idiot. An incredibly stupid girl who thought Gray would like her back. He loved Juvia. I knew that. So why had I still felt like that? Why had I fallen for him anyway?

"Lucy?" Yukino shook me out of my thoughts and I looked up to find concerned eyes searching my face. A tear rolled down my left cheek as I stared at Yukino and her eyes widened. "What happened? Are you alright?"

I shook my head, and I wasn't able to stop the tears that came then. Levy held onto my hand, questioning what was wrong, but I couldn't come up with an excuse. What was I supposed to say or do when the boy I liked really loved another girl, and we were only pretending to date so he could be with her?

Cana raised a questioning eyebrow as she stared at me and then looked up at Gray again. He was grinning, playing his guitar and singing without a care in the world. He was happy, ecstatic even, because Juvia had come.

Following his gaze, Cana turned to look behind us and sighed loudly when she saw Juvia there. "That fucking bastard." She murmured and my eyes widened. Did she know? She knew he still loved Juvia, even though he was supposed to be with me?

I cleaned my tears away as I turned towards Yukino and said, "I need some air."

I was about to turn around and leave, but someone clasped their hand around my arm. I turned back around to see Cana holding tightly onto my arm. She raised an eyebrow as she studied my face. "What game are you two playing at?" She suddenly questioned and my eyes widened, my arms trembling as Cana stared at me.

"It's nothing." I murmured and looked away, pulling my arm away from Cana's grasp. "I knew he still held feelings for her and still accepted to go out with him. It's just…"

Cana suddenly sighed loudly. "You shouldn't have mixed yourself in this mess, Lucy." Her eyes hardened when I looked up at her. "This won't end pretty."

My eyes widened and I had to cross my arms to try to stop trembling. Yukino placed her hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Do you want me to go outside with you?"

I shook my head and Yukino frowned. "I want to be alone."

I turned and left after that, and I had sighed as I confronted the press of humanity between me and the exit. When I agreed to come to the concert I had no idea how many people were going to be squeezed into what now appeared to be a small coffee house. Sighing again I began pushing through the crowd between me and some much needed fresh air.

I was nearing the end of the crowd when I was shoved from behind as someone much larger than me pushed his way through. Unable to stop myself in time, I fell against the guy in front of me, causing him to spill his beer all down the front of his black shirt.

My eyes widened as I stared at his wet shirt. "I-I'm so sorry!" I apologized before I looked up into a pair of dark eyes.

The guy in front of me raised an eyebrow and then smiled down at me. I raised an eyebrow, clearly confused by him smiling down at me after I had just ruined his shirt.

"Don't worry about it!" He shouted over the music. He grinned down at me and I nodded, looking back at the stage when the song ended.

"This will be the last song of the night!" Loke announced, a huge grin taking form on his lips as a group of girls near the stage screamed his name. He winked at them and I sighed.

Gray was also staring at Loke and shook his head, grinning as he looked down at his guitar. Loke grabbed onto his mic again and said, "This song is a new one! My good friend Gray here wrote it!"

My eyes widened at that and I stared at Gray as he shrugged, a small smile on his lips already as he stared at the crowd. Was he looking for Juvia? Was this song for her?

I shook my head and looked down. I shouldn't care. It shouldn't have bugged me, but it did. It really did and it was very frustrating.

They started playing their instruments, the song beginning as Gray grabbed the mic and started singing.

 _Top down in the summer sun_

I looked away, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat, my stomach in a painful knot as my hands curled by my sides, this song… this song was for her. He still loved her.

 _The day we met was like a hit-and-run_

Tears blinded my eyes. I could only hear Gray's voice. It was beautiful. I didn't want to stop listening to him. But it hurt. It hurt so much. I just couldn't bare it anymore. I really liked Gray.

 _And I still taste it on my tongue_

"Are you okay?" I heard someone ask and I looked up to find the guy I had spilled his beer on his shirt looking down at me. He looked concerned and I was only able to give him a small smile. But I couldn't lie, so I shook my head.

 _The sky was burning up like fireworks_

The guy in front of me frowned and I looked back at Gray. He looked perfect. He was doing what he loved. He was singing the song he had written for the girl he loved. She was there, and he was happy. But… that girl wasn't me.

 _You made me want you oh so bad it hurt_

I blinked as I stared at Gray, tears spilling down my cheeks. It was then that I felt someone tug on my hand and I looked back at the guy from before. He smiled and I found myself being pulled away from the crowd by him. My eyes widened at first. I didn't know what to do. A part of me was scared and another part of me didn't even want to fight it. I just wanted to get out of there. I wanted to be as far away from Gray as possible.

 _But girl in case you haven't heard_

The guy had held tightly to my hand, moving through the crowd with much more ease than I had before. I didn't understand why he was pulling me away. I was trembling, and I guess he had felt my trembles because he turned around and smiled at me again.

"You wanted to get out of here, right?"

My eyes widened and I looked down, nodding. He continued to pull me through the crowd and I couldn't help look back at Gray as we began to approach the exit.

 _I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hung over_

I raised an eyebrow as I stared at him. He was hung over…? Was this song about Juvia?

 _I'll love you forever, forever is over_

I stopped walking just as we had reached the exit, my eyes widening as I stared at Gray. Forever… was over? Did that mean… did that mean he didn't love her anymore?

 _We used to kiss all night, now it's just a bar fight_

I allowed my tears to freely flow down my cheeks then, my heart beating hard on my chest. Could I get my hopes up? Did I have a chance?

 _So don't call me crying_

I looked back at the guy who still held tightly onto my hand. He raised an eyebrow and I pulled my hand away from his. I wasn't going to get my hopes up. Not anymore. I didn't care. If he loved her or not, that wasn't my problem. I didn't believe in love. I shouldn't have cared. But I did. I really did.

 _Say hello to goodbye_

I smiled as I walked out the door and into the cold night breeze. I might had been fooling myself when I said I didn't care, but deep down I knew I did. And I had been ecstatic. That song had given me hope, and I didn't want to give up on Gray.

 _Cause just one sip would make me sick_

The door opened and closed behind me and I looked back to find the guy that had pulled me out of the crowd there. I took a step back and he chuckled.

"I'm not gonna do anything to you. I just want to make sure you're alright. I saw you crying in there." I looked down and rubbed the back of my hand on my cheeks to try to clean the tears that had spilled before.

 _I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hung over_

Outside, the music was still loud, and I could perfectly make out Gray's voice and the lyrics to the song he had written.

"I'm okay." I told the guy and he nodded.

 _I'll love you forever, forever is over_

I stared at the guy in front of me, noticing that he was a head taller than me. He looked young, maybe in his mid twenties. He had spiky, somewhat messy brownish hair framing his face. He was handsome, but not my type at all.

 _Hot sweat and blurry eyes_

"Are your friends still inside?" He suddenly asked, and I nodded.

I stared at his wet shirt and looked down, wrapping my arms tightly over my chest from the cold. "Sorry again for your shirt."

 _We're spinning round a roller coaster ride_

He chuckled. "It's not a big deal, really. So don't sweat it."

I nodded again, not knowing what else to say.

 _The world stuck in black and white_

"Do you know one of the guys from the band?" My eyes widened at his question.

I stared at him, my eyebrows furrowing as I tried to decipher him.

 _You drove me crazy every time we touched_

"I know them all. They go to my school." I confessed and he nodded.

"But one of them broke your heart?"

My eyes widened again.

 _Now I'm so broken that I can't get up_

The night's breeze blew my bangs out of my face as I stared at the older boy.

"You're very observant." I stated and he chuckled.

 _Oh girl you make me such a lush_

"Want some advice?" He suddenly asked me and I narrowed my eyes as I stared at him.

"No, I'm good, but thanks."

 _I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hung over_

 _I'll love you forever, forever is over_

"Alright then." He was smiling down at me. I looked away, only wanting to finish listening to Gray's song. I wanted to know if he really didn't love Juvia anymore.

 _We used to kiss all night, now it's just a bar fight_

"I've been to plenty of your friends' concerts before. My ex- girlfriend was a big fan of them." I glanced up at him and he shrugged. "I guess I became a fan myself after coming to so many of their concerts. I'm even a regular here."

 _So don't call me crying_

 _Say hello to goodbye_

We both stayed quiet for a few seconds, just listening to Gray's song.

"That guy, he must have really been heartbroken." I looked up at the boy in front of me in surprise. "But, it sounds like he's moved on."

 _Cause just one sip would make me sick_

He was talking about Gray and his song, and he seemed to be sure that that song was about Gray himself. So, could I think the same thing?

"Who are you?" I suddenly questioned and he stared at me, surprised at first, and then he started laughing.

 _I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hung over_

 _I'll love you forever, but now it's over_

My eyes narrowed as I watched him clean the tears from the corners of his eyes. "You really are something. You're not like every other girl I've come across."

I raised an eyebrow and he cleared his throat. "My name is Hibiki, Hibiki Lates. I'm a third year college student that was recently dumped by his long term girlfriend." He smiled, and I was only able to nod. "May I ask for your name?"

 _All the time I wasted on you_

 _All the bullshit you put me through_

I stared at him, debating whether to tell him or not, before I sighed and said, "Lucy Heartfilia."

He smiled. "Nice to meet you, Lucy."

I furrowed my eyebrows as I stared at him, not at all comfortable with his presence.

 _Checking into rehab cause everything that we had_

 _Didn't mean a thing to you_

Hibiki didn't speak after that, he seemed to be listening to the song Gray was singing, a hard look taking form on his face.

"Did you experience heartbreak?" I suddenly questioned and his eyes widened.

 _I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hung over_

 _I'll love you forever, but now I'm sober_

He chuckled after a few seconds passed, looking down at the concrete floor. "You're very observant yourself."

I shrugged. "I was just guessing."

"You guessed right. My girlfriend cheated on me."

 _I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hung over_

 _I'll love you forever, but now it's over_

My eyes widened and I looked away, feeling guilty for bringing up a topic he most likely didn't want to talk about.

"My ex-boyfriend also cheated on me." I whispered. My hands curled up into fists as the memory of Natsu and Lisanna at the party that summer break flashed in my head. I shook my head, not wanting to think about that day anymore.

Hibiki and I, we were kinda similar… I glanced up at him and found him staring at me, his eyebrows furrowed as he studied me.

 _Now it's over_

 _Still taste on my tongue_

"Huh?" He chuckled. "You and I may become unlikely friends."

I raised an eyebrow and shook my head. "I doubt it."

Hibiki stared at me before he broke out in a fit of laughter.

"You're too honest."

 _Now it's over…_

The song ended then, and both Hibiki and I turned towards the door we had walked out of.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight!" Gray had shouted out to the crowd, and I could just picture him up on stage, with a huge grin on his face. My cheeks darkened and my heartbeats quickened just by thinking about him. I wanted to see him. I wanted to ask him about the song he had just performed. I wanted to know if he still loved Juvia. I wanted to know if we were still going to pretend to be dating.

Hibiki turned to look at me again and gave me a small smile as he asked, "Are you going to wait here for your friends?"

I nodded. I was about to ask if he had come with anyone but the exit door suddenly opening made me stop.

My eyes widened as soon as I turned to see who had just walked out of the coffee house. Juvia seemed to be just as shocked as she stared back at me.

"Juvia?!" Lisanna had ran out behind her, and had stopped just as she stepped past the exit. She stared at me with raised eyebrows, clearly shocked to see me there.

Juvia hastily rubbed the tears that had covered her cheeks before she asked, "What are you doing here, Lucy?"

She had glanced at Hibiki and then looked back at me as I answered, "It was too crowded in there and I needed some air." My hand held tightly onto my arm as I stared at her. "Are you alright?"

She sniffed and nodded. "Of course."

I narrowed my eyes at her and sighed. "That song… It was about you, right?"

Juvia's eyes widened and her hands curled into fists by her sides as she glanced at Hibiki again, before she looked back at me. "I don't know. Why don't you ask your boyfriend?"

I frowned and looked down at my heels. "You were crying." I stated and I heard her sigh.

"What about it?"

I looked up at her and shrugged. "That means you still care about him."

She didn't hesitate when she answered, "I do."

Lisanna's eyes widened but I only nodded.

"I really like him. So I won't give up easily." My eyes hardened as I stared at Juvia and her eyes widened. Lisanna looked just as surprised, her mouth falling open as she stared at me and then at Juvia.

Hibiki chuckled and shook his head. I grinned.

Juvia's eyes hardened as well. "He doesn't love you, Lucy. It's very clear. He still cares about me. Deep down he does and that gives me an advantage."

I rolled my eyes. "I guess that song wasn't clear enough for you." I was getting too confident with my words. I didn't know why, but I couldn't stop myself. "What about Lyon? Are you going to mess around with both of them again?"

Hibiki cleared his throat then, probably getting uncomfortable with our conversation, but neither of us even spared him a glance.

"That's none of your business." Juvia gritted.

"It is!" I was mad. Rage was burning on the pit of my stomach as I stared at Juvia. She was terrible! How could she do this to them?!

Her eyes widened at my declaration and I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down as I repeated, "It is my business." I curled my hands on the ends of the skirt of my dress as I stared at her. "I care about Gray a lot so of course it's my business."

I had been so sure I would give up on Gray just minutes before, but after that last song he had performed, I didn't want to give up, not yet. I still had a chance. He may have been moving on, and I wanted to get closer to him, I wanted him to see me like I saw him.

Juvia started at me, her eyebrows furrowed. She sighed after a while. "You've fallen for the wrong guy again, Lucy."

I raised an eyebrow but then I grinned. "Yeah, maybe I have." I shrugged and she stared at me, a confuse look in her eyes. "He may be everything I'm not and there may still be things I don't know about him. But I want to be with him. I want to continue smiling by his side. I want to know everything about him. I want to make him happy."

Juvia's eyes had widened again, her hands tight by her sides.

"Lucy…" Lisanna whispered but I ignored her. Tears had gathered in the corner of my eyes and I rubbed my eyes and I smiled.

"I really like Gray. So please don't hurt him, Juvia. If you want to be with him, you're going to have to choose one or the other. You'll hurt both of them otherwise."

Juvia stared at me for a few seconds before she looked back at Lisanna and said, "I'm going to go home now." She smiled at her, and I saw tears roll down her cheeks. "Thanks for coming with me, Lisanna."

She gave me one last hard look as she walked passed me. I turned around and watched her walk away and sighed.

It was then that people started making their way out of the coffee shop. It was small groups at first. Girls giggling as they commented about how cute the guys were. Some groups included guys, who praised the guys on their good music.

Lisanna stared at me and gave me a small smile. She didn't say anything as she passed by me and after Juvia. I hadn't expected her to say anything, but it still hurt.

"Wow." Hibiki let out a sigh. "You're mixed up in quite a drama."

I chuckled and he grinned. "You really are something, Lucy." He looked up at the dark sky. "I wish I was as strong as you are."

I stared at him and frowned. "I'm not strong." I whispered and he looked down at me. "I'm not strong at all."

He shook his head. "Of course you are. You have guts." My eyes widened as I stared at him and he patted my head. "For a little girl, you are very courageous."

I rolled my eyes and muttered, "I'm not a little girl."

He chuckled. "Right. Well, continue being your bold self, it's gonna get you places, Lucy."

I stared at him and sighed. "I hope so."

He grinned and shook his head.

"Hibiki! Where the hell have you been?!"

Hibiki sweat dropped when he saw a couple of his friends stepping out of the coffee house. He looked down at me and smiled. "It was nice meeting you, Lucy. Hopefully we meet again."

I smiled back. "Yeah."

I watched him walk off with his friends and waved goodbye when he walked off towards the direction of the parking lot.

I took out my phone from my bag then and noticed that I had five unread text messages. Four of them were from Yukino. Apparently she was still inside. They were in the bathroom and she wanted to know where we should meet up at. I texted her that I was outside.

Seconds later she texted back that she and Levy were on their way.

The other text message was from Gray.

My heartbeats were beating fast as I opened the message.

 _Hey Luce. Are you still here? I want to see you._

My face was getting extremely hot as I re-read the text Gray had sent me. He wanted to see me? Why?

"Lucy!" Yukino and Levy had just walked out of the entrance to Fairy Tail. Yukino ran up to me, putting her hands on my shoulders as she sighed. "Are you alright?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm much better. Thanks."

She seemed unsure but she still smiled.

"Lu-chan, are you really okay?" Levy asked. She was frowning as she stared at me and I nodded.

"Yeah. Don't worry. Everything is alright." They glanced at each other, neither of them sure. "I really am!"

Yukino sighed and nodded. "Alright."

I nodded again and hooked one arm with Yukino's and the other with Levy's. "I think it's time to go home."

Yukino stopped me and looked up at me with narrowed eyes. "Shouldn't you go meet with Gray?" I looked down and Yukino sighed. "Cana told me he was going to wait for you backstage. He really wants to see you."

I bit my bottom lip as I remembered about the text he had sent me. I looked at Yukino and then at Levy. "It's okay. We really need to get home. I'll call Capricorn to come pick us up." I started dialing my father's chauffeur's number but Yukino stopped me.

"Don't worry about it. Cana offered to drive us home. Go see Gray." She grinned. "You want to, right?"

I looked down at my phone again and sighed. "It's okay. I can see him tomorrow."

Somehow, I was afraid to see him. I didn't know why, but it scared me to meet with him. What if he wanted to talk about his new song? What if he wanted to tell me that we would no longer pretend to be girlfriend and boyfriend?

But what I feared most, was seeing him again now that I knew how I truly felt about him. How would I act now that I liked him? Would I be able to act like I did before?

Yukino sighed loudly, disturbing my thoughts. I looked up at her and she narrowed her eyes at me. "Lucy, you want to see him, so go see him. Don't hide from him. Plus, I dolled you up so Gray wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of you! So go see him and tell me all about it tomorrow! Or call me! I'll stay up all night hearing about how he said you were the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on and how I should definitely pursue a career in cosmetology!"

My eyes widened and my cheeks turned a light pink color. I stared at her before I giggled and nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Yukino."

She grinned back at me and gave me a thumbs up. "Don't mention it. Good luck with lover boy!"

Levy giggled beside Yukino and I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. Thanks again!"

They both nodded at me and waved, Levy yelling, "Good luck, Lu-chan!"

I smiled and turned around and walked towards the entrance of Fairy Tail. Groups of people were still inside the coffee house. Most of them were sitting down on the tables, others were still standing by the stage chatting with their friends.

"Lucy?!" I turned around to see Mira walking towards me. I had been making my way towards the stage when she stopped me. She had stepped from behind the counter, a tray with some drinks in hand as she stopped in front of me.

"Are you looking for Gray?" She asked and I nodded. She smiled and winked at me, making me blush. "He's backstage. He did great, right?!"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah. They were amazing."

I felt someone wrap an arm around my shoulders and looked up to find Cana. "Yeah, they were pretty good. Too bad you didn't stay till the end." She was narrowing her eyes at me and I sweat dropped.

"I needed some air." I mumbled and Cana raised an eyebrow. "Mhmm."

"It can get really crowded in here when they play." Mira nodded and I smiled at her, glad someone believed my story. Cana sighed.

"Gray's been asking for you. Apparently he noticed when you left." My eyes widened when I looked up at Cana. She sighed again. "I guess I was wrong to doubt the guy. He really cares about you." My cheeks reddened and Cana grinned. "He still got an earful, though. I won't let that guy play around with you."

My gaze softened and I smiled up at her. "Thank you, Cana. But you really shouldn't have."

She shrugged. "You're my friend and that's what friends do. You looked hurt and that idiot should learn not to make his girlfriend cry."

My eyes widened again as I stared at her. She told him I had left crying? She raised an eyebrow as I stared blankly at the floor and then sighed. "I didn't tell him you cried, Lucy. So don't worry about it."

I looked back up at her and sighed in relief. "Thank you, Cana."

"Don't mention it." She nudged my shoulder then. "You should go. Gray's been waiting for you."

I nodded and waved at them before I walked off towards the stage. Loke was standing by the stage with a group of girls surrounding him. They were all giggling at something he had just said, and he wrapped an arm around one of them, whispering something in her ear and making her cheeks turn a dark red. I sighed and rolled my eyes as I passed by him.

Gajeel and Romeo were still on stage. They were sitting down, Gajeel behind his drums and Romeo beside him on the stage. Romeo had his guitar strapped behind his back and was laughing at something Gajeel had just said.

I walked up the stairs by the side of the stage and smiled at them when they noticed me.

"Hey bunny girl." Gajeel grinned at me and I sighed at the nickname.

"Hi." I smiled. Romeo smiled back and Gajeel smirked.

"Fullbuster is waiting for you." He shrugged towards the curtains near the back of the stage.

I nodded and thanked him. I stepped behind the curtains and looked around, noticing the ropes and lights that worked the stage. I then noticed a door and walked towards it, I opened it and walked into the room I had guessed was the backstage.

The room had a long couch, a TV, a long glass table lined by one of the sides of the room, covered with bottles of beer and water and even some snacks.

Gray was sitting down on the couch. He was playing his guitar, still unaware of my presence. My heart started to pound in an uncontrollable rate as I stared at Gray. I could feel my arms trembling as I watched him play his guitar. Gray made my heart race in a way I'd never experienced.

I went to sit next to him on the couch. He looked up at me, a grin slowly taking form on his lips as he finally noticed me.

"Hey Luce." He put down his guitar before he turned towards me again. His hand came up to move my bangs out of my eyes and he smiled. "You're wearing contacts?"

I nodded. "Yukino made me." I made a brief gesture to my apparel, letting out a slight sigh. "She insisted I would ruin her hard work if I wore my glasses."

Gray chuckled, shaking his head.

I glanced up at him and then looked back down at my dress. "Do you like it?" I whispered.

He didn't say anything and I looked up. He was looking at my face and then down at the dress I had been wearing. I blushed when he looked back up at my face. "You look beautiful."

My eyes widened and he held onto my hand. An amused look spread across Gray's face as he tilted his head to the side, looking down at me. "I mean it, Luce. You look beautiful." He then shrugged. "But you look beautiful all the time, really. Even when you're not wearing makeup or a pretty dress. Even when you're wearing your glasses." He cracked a crooked smirk and I rolled my eyes, trying to stop the tears that had been treating to come.

I couldn't stop the silly smile tugging at the corners of my lips from winning over as I stared at him. I felt butterflies fluttering around in my stomach and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't help it, even if I wanted to. No one had ever called me beautiful before. Well, maybe Yukino and my mother had, but not another guy. And less one I had feelings for.

"You really shouldn't say things like that to me." I mumbled and he raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" I looked up at him and sighed. Because it made me like you even more. I shook my head. I couldn't tell him that! So I looked away and muttered, "Because!"

He chuckled and I glanced up at him and said, "You should only say things like that to the girl you like!"

He stared at me for a good minute and I had to break eye contact, my cheeks burning from the hard look her had given me.

"Hey Luce." I looked back up at him and he frowned. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to the homecoming dance?"

I tried to untangle my hand from his but he grabbed tightly onto it. He wasn't going to let me run away. I sighed. "I didn't think you'd care. Plus you had the concert. There was no way you could've gone."

We sat there in silence for a while; Gray didn't say anything, his eyes had been fixed on some point on the table.

"I cared," he said quietly, cutting through the silence.

I looked up at him with wide eyes, my hands shaking. "B-but the concert was on the same day! You couldn't have-"

"We could have gone. For a little bit, but I could have taken you." I stared at him and sighed.

"Why do you care so much? It's not like we're really dating." He had suddenly let go of my hand and I raised an eyebrow. He looked away and frowned.

"I don't know." He muttered and I frowned. He didn't know? He didn't know why he cared? He didn't know why he had suddenly kissed me before? He didn't know how he felt about me?! It was frustrating. So frustrating.

"You never know." I mumbled. I glanced up at him and saw his frown deepen as he stared blankly at the floor.

I bit my bottom lip and tried hard not to let the tears escape my eyes. "That last song… Was it for Juvia?"

Gray looked up at me and blinked a few times before he nodded. "Yeah."

"Does that mean you-" I started but he stopped me when he shook his head and then shrugged as he sighed.

"I don't really know. I know the right thing to do is to give up on her, because she's with Lyon. But I still love her." I felt a pang of heartbreak. He loved her… My hands had been shaking. He still loved her… I felt a lump feeling in my throat. "If I continue this Lyon will never forgive me. I don't want that. But I've already done so much. I've already lost him. Once he finds out about everything, he will hate me."

His hands had curled into fists by his sides as he stared down at his lap. "I don't know what to do."

I wanted to help him and more so after hearing the tremble in that single sentence he had spoken. I lifted my right hand and turned his face to look at me. "Gray," I said, softly stroking his cheek, "I can't tell you what you should do, only you can. And deep down, I know you know what's the right thing to do."

Gray covered my hand on his cheek with his own, closing his eyes with a sigh. When he opened them again, his deep blue eyes looked straight into mine; they were nervous but they weren't scared. He sighed and removed my hand from his face.

"Yeah. I do. But it's still hard." He glanced back at me and smiled. "And there's so much more."

I raised an eyebrow, confused by what he meant.

He fell back against the couch and ran both of his hands through his messy hair. He let out a loud sigh as he stared at the ceiling. "I'm just confused about a lot of things."

"Well hurry up and figure out whatever's confusing you." I boldly stated, my cheeks turning a dark shade of red. Gray sat up straight then, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at me.

I licked my suddenly dry lips and looked up at him. Slowly, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. His eyes widened as he stared down at me and he whispered, "Luce?"

I didn't respond, if I had, I would have changed my mind. So I only tilted my head back and pressed my lips against his. This had been the first kiss I had ever initiated. It had been short and sweet, but still had my heart thumping madly in my chest. When it was over I quickly looked away to avoid his eyes. I flushed when I glanced up at him. His eyes were still wide, but as soon as his eyes caught mine, he smiled.

I looked away again and stood up. "I'll be waiting for you! So hurry up and figure out whatever you have to!"

I didn't look back at him and rushed out of the room. I was both hoping he hadn't caught the meaning behind my words and that he had. I wanted him to see me as more than just a friend, as more than just the girl that was pretending to be his girlfriend.

I was making my way out of Fairy Tail when someone called after me. "Luce!"

I looked back, my eyes already wide at the sound of that nickname. Gray had ran after me. His cheeks were red as he stared at me.

He grinned then. "I promise I'll do my best." We were standing only steps away from each other. He walked up to me and hugged me. "Thank you, Luce."

My entire face felt hot as I returned the hug. "You don't have to thank me, you idiot."

I felt him chuckle and I sighed.

I had fallen for another idiot.

And I found myself hoping for a happy ending once again.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Like, hate, was not expecting anything that happened? Please leave me a review and let me know! Sorry for taking such a long time to post the new chapter. I really wanted to have this chapter out before Christmas but I didn't have the time.**

 **Thank you so much to all of you that took the time to review the last chapter! And thanks to those who have favorited and followed my story, it really means a lot to me!**

 **I'll try to publish the next chapter by next week! No promises but I'll try! I really want to have the next chapter up before I start school again so the next chapter will definitely be up before February!**

 **Happy New Year to you all! May you all have a wonderful year! Thank you for reading! :)**

 **Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima!**

 **Songs: Happily Ever After by He is We and Love Drunk by Boys Like Girls**

 **Blue**


	7. Chapter 7

We All Have a Story to Tell

Chapter 7

 _Who'd like to know?_

A month had passed since the homecoming dance. The guys had played every weekend at Fairy Tail. They were again just as popular- if not more- as they had been before.

Everything seemed to be going great for them. Gray seemed happy, and that made me happy. But… I was becoming selfish, very selfish. I had never felt this way before, and I hated it. I hated wanting to be with Gray all the time. I hated having the feelings I had for him. I hated getting nervous when he got close to me. I hated that my heart skipped a beat everytime he smiled. But most of all, I hated feeling jealous of all his fangirls and of Juvia.

I had no right to feel jealous, because we weren't really dating. Gray didn't even like me back. He loved Juvia. Not me.

Sighing, I closed my laptop and looked out my bedroom window. The moon sat in the sky, reflecting its borrowed light onto the dark night, gently passing behind clouds as the breeze pushed the clouds across the sky.

My psychologist had told me I should keep a diary. She said it would be a good way to take out whatever feelings I had bubble up inside me. Apparently, she had realized I wasn't the type that would let out her emotions to anyone. She was right. I had a lot of things bubble up inside me, things I couldn't bring myself to admit to anyone.

"Have you spoken to anyone else about what led you to think about committing suicide?" My eyes had widened at her question.

I had looked down then, feeling ashamed as I shook my head. "Why?"

My hands curled on the ends of my skirt as I continued to stare at the floor. "I'm ashamed. I'm scared of what they'll think of me." I admitted.

When I glanced up I saw the older lady give me a sympathetic smile. "You shouldn't feel ashamed or sacred. People make mistakes, it's part of human nature." I looked to the side, thinking of what she had just said. She was right, but still, I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone. It had been hard enough to open up to my father, though he hadn't seemed too surprise. I had expected him to be shocked, to yell at me, but he hadn't. He had looked up from his desk, raised an eyebrow and sighed.

He had then told me he would request someone to come home, a therapist that would see me every other day. I had shaken my head, telling him I had already looked for help, from a psychologist that I would see every Monday. He had nodded, saying that was fine, and then he had looked down at his desk again. Tears had gathered in my eyes and I had quickly turned away and stepped out of his office. That had been his way to cope with my mother's death, by ignoring me and drowning himself in his work.

I recorded anything I deemed important on my laptop. I wrote about my feelings for Gray, about what had happened the night of the concert, of my confrontation with Juvia, about my friendship with Gray, about my friendship with Yukino and Levy. I even went back and added some things to what I had written about the night I tried to commit suicide. I sometimes dream about that night. About the star filled night, about the shooting star, and about the wish I had made.

That wish, that wish for happiness, had made me want to continue living. I wanted to live the life I was meant to live. I wanted to see the story I was meant to have and finish with. I had hoped for a happily ever after, like the ones my mother read to me as a child. However, I knew those didn't exist. They were fairy tales, and in the real world, fairy tales didn't exist. I had enough experiences to know that was the sad truth.

I had friends now, I had reasons to live. I didn't have any reasons to want to take my life again. I was happy. I was glad I had met Yukino and Levy. But most of all, I was glad I had met Gray. I was happy to have someone by my side that could understand what I had gone through. He had lost a mother, too. And he too, loved someone who broke his heart.

My psychologist also recommended me to find an ambition, something I wanted to accomplish, a goal for my future. A career. I had grinned, telling her all about Levy and I meeting, and how I had realized I wanted to become a writer. I wanted to publish a book. I wanted to write a story of the adventures life would take me on, and also, to write fictional stories. I wanted others to enjoy reading as much as I did.

Things seemed to be going great. That was until I realized how popular Gray and his band were. I was now pretending to date one of them, and he was, to my luck, the one the girls at my school seemed to like the most.

It had started the Monday after the homecoming dance, the Monday after the band's first concert after their break.

I could feel the change the moment Yukino and I entered Magnolia high. The area leading up to the front entrance of school was filled with students, wandering about and chatting with one another as they did every morning before the first bell rang. A group of girls gathered every morning by the entrance and they had always ignored me. That morning, however, as I walked passed them, they all stopped and turned to look at me.

The whispers had started then. I could see girls murmuring to one another, eyeing me and rolling their eyes at me or laughing when I caught their gaze. I couldn't hear what they had been whispering, but I had no doubt that it was about me.

I knew it wasn't just because the guys had started to play again. It was mostly because Gray and I had been pretending to date for almost a month. Gray had never been with a girl that long. I was the first, and apparently, they didn't think I was worthy of claiming that title.

I wanted to laugh in their faces. If only they had known that this was all a farze. I wasn't the girl they should have been worried about, it was Juvia. She was the one that held the key to Gray's heart, not them, and not me. Juvia Loxar, she was the girl the guy I liked loved.

"God, what's their problem?" Yukino had muttered by my side, glaring at a couple of girls that stared at us as we made our way to our lockers.

I sighed and shrugged. They liked a guy that I was pretending to date. That was their foolish problem. I, however, didn't know then that their real problem had been that while we had pretended to date, Gray hadn't slept with any of them. He hadn't cheated on me, like he did with other girls. He had been loyal, and that had shocked them all. Because he hadn't been loyal even when he had been seeing Juvia.

That also, in a way, shocked me. I trusted his word, however, I knew his ways. I knew he used to go out with a different girl every now and then. I had heard plenty of rumors.

It was weird and very shocking. And in a way, it made me happy knowing that with me, he was being loyal. It made me like him more than I already did.

He had made a promise to me - to not see other girls while we pretended to date- and he had kept that promise.

We had also walked passed Juvia that morning. Our eyes had met for a brief moment. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, and it swished around as she turned her head to glance at me. Her gaze, as usual, had been sharp and penetrating, but that day, it had been unmistakably cold.

Just as we got to our lockers, Angel and a friend of hers, Aries, stepped in front of us. Aries, the pink haired, shy girl, looked down as Angel glared down at me. I raised an eyebrow, not really knowing what I had done now to her.

"How the hell are you two still together?!" She asked and my eyes widened. I hadn't expected that. I had been so shocked that I couldn't stop myself from bursting out in laughter.

Angel's eyebrows twitched in annoyance, her hands balling up by her sides as she yelled, "What's so funny, Heartfilia?!"

Yukino also seemed surprised by my reaction, raising an eyebrow at me as she watched me clean the tears from the corner of my eyes.

"You put so much importance to something so petty." I answered and Angel looked furious. She didn't like that answer one bit. I guess some people don't like to be told the truth to their faces…

Angel took a step towards me, her eyes wide with anger. "You better watch your mouth, Heartfilia."

I stared at her, not wanting to laugh at her again. She was just so childish! Like a girl that wanted a doll, that had just been sold to another girl. It's taken, and their is nothing you can do about it!

I sighed, about to say something when I heard Yukino beside me say, "And who the hell do you think you are going around threatening everyone?!"

My eyes widened, as did Angel's. They stared at each other for a good minute, that was until Angel rolled her eyes and sighed, acting as unfazed as she could.

She turned her nose up and scoffed, "Don't get on my bad side, Yukino." Yukino raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Angel then turned to stare at me, her eyes hard as they stared into mine. "I don't know why he has his eyes set on you. I really don't understand him."

My jaw clenched, and I retorted, "And that is why you'll never be with him."

Angel's eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to come up with something to say. She didn't get a chance, however, the bell ringing seconds after I had spoken.

Angel shot us both one more scathing look, and then both she and Aries turned away. I sighed inwardly, forcing my tense body to relax so I could walk to class.

I was taking out my books from my locker, about to lock it, when I felt someone place their hand on my shoulder. I looked back and saw Yukino, a small smile on her lips.

"It's best for you to end this farze as soon as possible, Lucy." I frowned at her words, but nodded, knowing that was what was best. But I couldn't come to tell Gray. I was scared. If I told him we should end our fake relationship, would that be the end of our friendship? Would I not be able to see him as much as I did now? I didn't know, and it scared me to find out the answers to those unasked questions.

So I didn't bring it up. Not once.

The month after the homecoming dance, he spoke to me about thinking that he was finally moving on from Juvia. But then we would walk by her or he would see her at the dining hall, and he wouldn't be able to tear his gaze away from her. I wasn't foolish, I knew he still harbored strong feelings towards her. What he told me, was what he wanted to believe was the truth, but it wasn't near to it. He loved her, even when he knew he shouldn't, and it was driving him crazy.

What had happened the night of the homecoming dance between us wasn't mentioned by neither of us. He hadn't brought it up, even if he had realized the meaning behind my words. I wasn't brave enough to bring it up either, scared that he had indeed realized my true feelings towards him. However, we both knew I meant the words I spoke that night, I was waiting for him. I had been waiting for him to realize what he truly wanted.

It was when we had started to approach our seventh week together, that the bullying increased. Girls were furious, they feared we would reach the second month. They foolishly thought that if we did, that meant Gray was in love with me. Hah! I really wanted to laugh at their faces then. Gray was, by no means, in love with me. He was head over heels in love with Juvia.

It was a Friday when it happened. I had been getting my food from the cafeteria and walked into the dining hall during lunch. Gray, Yukino and the others had been waiting for me at our usual table. I smiled when Levy waved at me from the other side of the dining hall. I then started making my way to the table.

However, my steps became faster as I noticed the stares I had been getting from some of the girls that sat on the tables I passed by. I gripped the edges of my tray tightly and sucked in the insides of my cheeks. I knew I shouldn't have given them any importance. The best I could do was ignore them, act as if they weren't even there. I had to act as though they didn't affect me in the slightest.

I kept my head up and looked forward as I made my way through the dining hall, refusing to acknowledge the blatant stares that some girls had been giving me, the whispers that had started as I passed by.

My hands trembled as I saw the cold looks girls shot at me as I passed by their table. I gritted my teeth and gripped my tray tighter as I moved towards the back of the dining hall, where Gray and the others were at, talking and laughing, without a clue of what was happening.

I was sure that the whites of my knuckles were showing, but I couldn't help it. Then, someone stuck their foot out right as I was about to pass them.

I had been so busy trying to keep my gaze above everyone else's that I didn't notice this attempt to trip me until the last second. But I had seen it before I put my foot down, and in my attempt to sidestep it, I lost my balance.

I had gasped in anticipation of the fall, but there was no need.

A hand on my back had steadied me almost as soon I was aware that I was falling. The next thing I knew, I was back on my two feet again. My food had shifted on my tray, but nothing had fallen, making my eyes widen as I looked from my tray to the girl that stood in front of me.

Her eyes were wide as well and I glared at her. I didn't know who she was, all I knew was that she was a cheerleader, because she had been wearing the cheer uniform Yukino wore every Friday.

I can't really explain what I had felt at that moment. I was angry, shocked, and repulsed. I guess it had been a combination of all three. I didn't understand why she had tried to trip me. I understood they all had a crush on Gray, and that was why they didn't like me, but I couldn't understand why they would use violence.

I had opened my mouth then, all too ready to give the girl a piece of my mind, but I stopped, confused when I noticed the expression on her face. It had been a combination of surprise and apprehension.

However, she hadn't been looking at me. That's when I turned to look at whoever had reached out to steady me.

Gray's dark blue eyes met mine. He had stood up from the table we usually sat at. My eyes widened when I noticed that I had been steps away from them. Yukino, Levy, Gajeel, Cana, Loke, and Romeo were all there, looking at us. I guess that in my attempt to keep my head up and ignore everyone's stares, I had not even noticed that they were right next to me.

The dining hall had gone silent. Every conversation had stopped and everyone was looking at us. I felt my arms tremble as I looked around the dining hall and then back at Gray.

I felt myself calm down a little as I stared into his deep blue eyes. Whenever I was close to him, I always felt safe and secure, not caring what was happening around us.

Gray tore his gaze from mine as he turned to face the girl who had stuck out her foot.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he said. His eyes were sharp, turning a deeper shade of blue, if possible, as he stared at the girl. My eyes widened as I stared at him, surprised at his tone. He had clearly been angry, and it surprised me. How much did he care about me? How important was I to him? Did it even come close to how much I cared about him? I flushed, looking down.

"I… I was… I didn't… I…" the girl stuttered, not knowing what to say. Her face had been turning red, and I hadn't blamed her. Gray looked positively dangerous.

Like everyone else in the room, I had been entranced by the scene that I had been a part of. I had wondered what would happen, but after letting the girl stutter for a minute, Gray turned his back towards her.

He had faced me then. He shook his head and sighed. My cheeks turned a hot red as he patted my head. "Hey Luce."

He then dropped his hand down my arm and towards my hand, and I knew that was his way of letting everyone know that I was his, and there was nothing they could do about it. He wanted them to back off, to leave me alone. And it seemed to be working, for the girl rushed out of the cafeteria as soon as he turned his back to her. The girls that had been glaring at me before, had turned around, their eyes wide after seeing Gray.

I looked down at where his fingers had grazed my arm, leaving a tingling sensation, and then I looked at our intertwined hands. He held tightly onto it and I looked up and met his gaze. I had been glad he hadn't asked me whether or not I was okay. I didn't want to talk about that, not with everyone there.

His eyes softened, and just like that, his anger seemed to abate. The corners of his mouth curled a little.

My breath had hitched then. For some reason, I had started feeling nervous.

"Hi Gray," I smiled back.

"How was Econ? Long class again?" I smiled as he pulled me to sit at the table, glad he was talking about class instead of what had just happened.

Yukino had been staring at me as I sat down. She frowned, and I knew she was thinking that this had happened because I was still with Gray. She was right, I knew that. But I just couldn't stop myself from wanting to be with him.

The dining hall had gone back to it's usual rowdiness as soon as Gray and I had sat down. Gajeel had looked at me with raised eyebrows, while Loke and Romeo only smiled. Cana had shaken her head with a grin.

Levy had scooted over to make some space for both Gray and I, and she had hugged me as soon as I sat down. She didn't say anything either, and I was glad she hadn't. I really didn't want to talk about it. And they all seemed to understand that.

"It was fine. A little boring, but it went fast." I answered him and he nodded, stealing the apple that sat on my tray. I sighed, watching him take a bit and then offering it to me. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, Cana wiggling her eyebrows at me suggestively.

Gray held onto my hand under the table for the rest of the lunch break, giving me a reassuring squeeze every now and then. I looked down at my food with a small smile, my cheeks turning a light shade of red.

It was later, as the guys talked and joked with one another that Gray aimed a punch at Loke's shoulder after he said something. Loke had busted out in laughter after that, Cana joining him. I hadn't catched what he had said, but Gray had looked down at me soon after, his eyes wide and his cheeks a light shade of red. I turned to Levy, whose eyes had widened. I raised an eyebrow, confused and looked up at Yukino when she giggled. She afforded me a small smile and I hesitantly smiled back. Sighing, I zoned out again as I looked around the dining hall.

I had frowned as I looked around the room, they were acting as if nothing had happened, and in a way, I was glad they were. I stopped when my eyes fell on Juvia.

She was looking at me and I raised an eyebrow. She didn't look angry, but she definitely didn't look happy either. Her arms had been crossed over the table she had been sitting at, drumming her fingers on her arm as she watched me.

My jaw tightened. I looked back down at our table and sighed. Being with Gray seemed to bother more than just one person. And it started to get to me.

The bell soon rang to signal the end of lunch, and we all started to get up. Cana had waved and called out, "I'll see you in class, lover boy!" Gray glared at her and she laughed and shook her head.

Loke was also laughing and shaking his head as he walked off with Romeo, who only raised an eyebrow and turned to ask Loke what was going on. I was glad to find out I wasn't the only one lost. Loke patted his back and told him he would explain later.

Yukino wiggled her eyebrows at me as she pulled a flushed Levy away with her.

I raised an eyebrow as I watched them walk off to class.

Gajeel gave us both an amused look as he walked passed us, leaving Gray and I alone. I looked up at Gray, who looked away as soon as I did.

"What's going on?" I asked.

He sighed and mumbled, "Nothing. Those idiots just got weird ideas, that's all."

"What ideas?" I persisted, not wanting to be the only one left out.

Gray shrugged. "They just think that me playing hero like that doesn't suit me." He chuckled and I blushed when his deep blue eyes locked with my brown ones. "But… when it comes to you and me, they think it's not that weird."

My eyes softened and I smiled. "Well, thanks for helping me out. It meant a lot to me."

He looked at me for what felt like years, and then he cracked a smile. "Yeah, anything for you, Luce." His hand reached out to touch my cheek. My eyes widened and he gave me a small smile. "This is all happening because of me."

I shook my head. "It's not your fault-"

"It is, Luce." He cut me off, frowning as he traced my cheek. "I...It's better if we-"

My eyes widened, knowing what he was about to say. "I promised you I would help you!" I cut him off this time, my cheeks a dark shade of red. His eyes widened, his hand leaving my cheek as he chuckled and shook his head. "I made a promise, and I won't end it until you get the girl you love."

Gray smiled and my cheeks felt ten times hotter than they had before.

I was being selfish. I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. Pretending to be his girlfriend seemed the only way I could continue to be as close as I was to him. I didn't want to go back to being just friends.

Me being selfish, I had rather endured the bullying and the things people had been saying around school instead of being apart from Gray.

"I won't let them do anything to you, Luce." He had whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around me. My eyes widened, tears gathering in the corners of my eyes as I nodded.

"I know." I whispered back, and his arms wrapped tighter around me.

He had kept that promise as well. Every time anybody tried to say anything about me, or tried to do anything to me, he would always defend me. He stood by my side through it all.

But things only got worse.

"She must be really good in bed if he's been with her this long and hasn't even cheated on her." A girl murmured as I walked by myself down the hallway and toward my locker. My eyes widened in shock, my arms trembling as I turned to stare at the girl that had just spoken.

The guy she had been talking to looked at me then. He openly checked me out and my cheeks turned a deep red in both anger and embarrassment.

"She's kinda skinny, but she's still pretty damn hot." He smirked and I pulled my books closely to my chest. He had been staring at my legs, and I never felt like my skirt had been shorter than it had at that moment.

He then walked up to me. I let out a shaky breath and quickly looked away from him, continuing my walk towards my locker. He, however, had been much faster and had his arm around my shoulders before I could reach my destination.

The tall, brown haired boy grinned down at me, my heart beating fast in fear. "Whatcha say, Lucy, wanna go out on a date with me?" My eyes widened and he smirked, bringing his lips to my ear. "I bet I can please you a lot more than Fullbuster ever has. I'll make you scream my name all night."

My entire body had been trembling as I stared at the boy beside me, my mouth falling open. I pulled away from him after seconds of shock, my body trembling now with anger and disgust. My bangs fell over my eyes, covering my frightened brown eyes.

"What's the matter, Lucy? Speechless already?" I just knew he was smirking. I didn't answer him, though.

Instead, I took a step toward him and slapped him across the face as hard as I could.

Everyone that stood around us stopped walking, all eyes landing on us. The guy held onto his red cheek, eyes wide as he looked back at me. He glared and sneered, "You bitch!"

I had been blushing furiously, my hand stinging as I took in deep breaths. I stared at the red marks I had caused on his skin where my hand had connected with him, blinking several times as I tried to keep my tears from falling down my cheeks. My eyes had been welling up, my vision blurring slightly. I had felt so ashamed, so dirty.

People were whispering now, as they stared at us. But no one dared to step up to either of us.

I could hear the whispers, could hear them make their own stories of what had just happened. I could hear them calling me 'easy' and a 'whore.'

My tears rolled down my cheeks then, and in my anger, I brought my hand around for another hit, but the brown haired jerk caught my wrist and twisted it painfully. His eyes snapped to mine. They had been filled with anger, to which I could have said matched my own, but I knew mine showed fear more than they did anger.

I struggled in his painful, tight grasp. "What the hell, you stupid bitch!"

I then flinched, my eyes widening as a fist flew out from behind me, striking the boy in the jaw and knocking him flat on his back. My hand had been throbbing as blood finally rushed back into it.

Gray had moved in front of me then, my eyes even wider than before as I stared at his back. He had stepped in between me and the boy as he looked up at him, a dazed expression on the boy's face.

"What the fucking hell-"

"What the fuck do you think you were doing to her?!" Gray barked. Everyone that had been standing around us seemed to quiet down. I had been expecting a professor to show up, but they never did.

The boy smirked. "Nothing… yet."

Gray's back flexed then, and I knew he was going to throw another punch at the boy. I moved forward then, taking hold of his arm and shaking my head. "Please, Gray. Stop."

He looked back at me with wide eyes. "Please." I whispered again, a forced smile on my lips as I held tightly onto his hand.

He pursed his lips and sighed, turning around to kick the guy's side as he yelled, "You dare come close to Lucy again, and I swear, that black eye I just gave you is gonna be nothing in comparison to what I'll do to you."

The boy on the floor groaned and held onto his side as I pulled onto Gray's hand again. Gray lead the way through the group of people that stood around us. He finally stopped when we stepped outside, where no one could see us or hear us.

Once we were outside, he turned to face me, lifting his hand to wipe away the tears that were now staining my face despite my best efforts.

"Luce…" He whispered and I looked down, somehow feeling ashamed. "What happened?" He asked, his brows creasing in worry as he appraised me. He'd obviously only heard the very end of what had happened between that jerk and me. I shook my head, not wanting to tell him. Too embarrassed to tell him exactly what the boy had told me.

He frowned, but he didn't pressure me. He hugged me then, and the tears fell freely down my cheeks, soft sobes leaving me as I pressed my face on his chest.

His hands tightened around me and he suddenly stepped away from our embrace. I raised an eyebrow as I watched him.

His hands had curled into fists and he had turned towards the doors that lead into the hall we had just exited. "I swear, I'm going to beat the shit out of that mother fucker-"

"No." I said, grabbing Gray's hand before he could head back into the hall. "I just want to go home. Can… can you please drive me home?"

Gray had been torn, a part of him wanted to beat the hell out of that boy and the other wanting to do whatever he could to comfort me as he glanced towards the door. Letting out a heavy sigh, Gray nodded, pulling me towards the parking lot.

He had put the helmet for me before helping me onto his motorcycle and heading out. I had felt numb, my eyes closed the entire ride.

Yukino had been right, being with Gray was dangerous. But… I was stubborn, and I wanted to continue being with him.

But our situation wouldn't get better. No… It would also start affecting Gray.

It had been a week after the incident with the boy in the hallway. Gray had picked me up at my house that Thursday morning before school started.

As soon as he took off his helmet, my eyes had widened in horror.

"What happened to your eye!" I rushed to him, my hand covering my mouth as I stared up at him.

Gray had a purplish black bruise covering his left eye.

He sighed and shrugged. "Nothing. Don't worry about it, Luce."

I shook my head. "You can't ask me not worry about it, Gray!" I held tightly onto his hand and his eyes widened. "What in God's name happened to you?"

He looked down at his helmet and sighed again. "I told you, Luce. It's nothing."

I frowned. "I'm not going to let it go, so you might as well just tell me now."

He grinned. "Is that a challenge, Luce?"

I bit my bottom lip and shook my head. "No. It's a fact. We both know how incredibly stubborn I can be."

A devilish smile tugged at the corners of Gray's lips as he leaned forward slightly. "And that's supposed to be a discouragement?"

I blinked up at him, my eyes narrowing slightly. "Well… yeah."

Gray let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "I like it when you get stubborn. Because when you do, you end up getting flustered, which is when you start to blush, and your cheeks get very red, and it makes you look very cute-"

"Stop it, Gray!" I demanded, feeling my face redden at his words, even as I tried not to. He gave me a lazy smile, most likely glad he had gotten the response from me he had been expecting.

"Gray, no amount of distractions or smooth talking is going to get you out of this. I want to know what happened to you." I whispered.

Gray's features tightened slightly as he let out a sigh, obviously resigning himself to the fact that I wasn't going to drop this topic.

"Listen, Luce. It's not important, alright?"

"It is to me, Gray." His eyes widened at that and I sighed. "You too would be concerned if tomorrow I showed up to school with a black eye-"

"Yeah, of course I would, but that'd be different-"

"How so?" I asked, crossing my arms in front of me and pegging him with a hard stare.

"It just would be." Gray said, the look on his face telling me he had no plans of elaborating further on his response.

"I don't get it. Why won't you just tell me?" I asked, unable to hide the hurt in my voice as I met his gaze.

Gray's expression softened as he took hold of my hand. "Because I don't want you getting involved, okay? I'm doing this for your own good. Whatever happened, it's over now. Please, don't worry about it."

Biting down on my lip, I averted my gaze to his motorcycle that stood just steps away from us. Sighing, I held onto his hand and pulled him toward my house. "We need to get some ice for your eye." I whispered when I saw his eyebrows rise in question.

When we stepped inside my huge home, I could hear the housemaids whispering as we walked through the house, making our way to the kitchen. Some of them blushed when they saw our linked hands, the younger ones winking at me when I caught their gazes. Their winks had made a flush spread across my cheeks.

Miss. Spetto, one of the many housemaids at the Heartfilia residence, stopped us before we entered the kitchen.

"Lucy…" Her eyes regarded me before they moved on to Gray. "Oh dear, what happened to you?"

I looked back at Gray and saw him shrug. He avoided eye contact with Miss. Spetto as she walked up to him and inspected his injured eye.

"I tripped." Gray murmured and I raised an eyebrow.

Miss. Spetto stared up at Gray suspiciously, most likely not believing him. "Really?"

Gray nodded and I smiled. At least he hadn't lied to me. That made me feel a lot better and I gave his hand a squeeze, my cheeks flushing again as he looked down at me and afforded me with a small smile.

Walking into the kitchen, Miss. Spetto opened the freezer and took out an ice pack. She handed it to me and smiled. "This should be placed on his injury for at least a few minutes." She patted my arm and stepped out of the kitchen, leaving us alone.

Gray didn't say anything he just nodded when I raised my wide eyes to his. I leaned toward him and touched the side of his face with one hand while laying the ice pack on with the other as gently as I could. He winced, raising a hand to hold it in place.

We were silent for a few minutes before he lowered the ice pack and mumbled, "We should probably start heading out now. If we don't, you're gonna be late to your first class."

He started making his way out of the kitchen, and I quickly took hold of his hand, stopping him from leaving.

"It doesn't hurt anymore?" I whispered, asking about his eye. He looked back at me and grinned.

"Not really, Luce. I'm fine."

I sighed and nodded. He pulled me out of the kitchen then. I didn't bring up the topic again. But I still wanted to know what had happened. I didn't have to wait long, though.

The next day, as I placed my books back into my locker, I heard someone call my name. I turned around and smiled when I saw Cana approaching me.

"Hey Lucy. Are you doing anything after school?"

I shook my head, remembering that Gray had told me he and the guys were going to practice all night for the concert they were playing the next night. Yukino had to go cheer for the guys in the football team so I didn't have any plans with her either. And Levy, she had said she really wanted to finish a book she was in the middle of.

"How 'bout you come with me to Fairy Tail? Mira can get us some drinks." She winked and I sighed.

"Aren't you supposed to go to the band's' practice?" I asked and she groaned.

"Don't wanna. Half the time they're arguing and when they do start playing, I get kinda bored since I know all their songs by heart! I need a break sometimes." She placed her arm around my shoulders and grinned. "So whatcha say, wanna go out with me tonight?"

I giggled and nodded. It had been better than staying home all by myself. Besides, Cana was a very nice and fun person. I really liked hanging out with her. So, why not?

Her grin widened and I couldn't stop myself from smiling back.

That night, Fairy Tail had been quite full. There had plenty of customers. Mira had been going back and forth from the bar to taking the clients' orders to their tables.

"So, how are you and Gray doing?" Cana had asked me, taking another drink from her beer. I sighed, noticing her cheeks turn a light pink color as she took another drink.

I bit my bottom lip and idly swirled my straw around the ice in my lemonade. "I guess we're fine." I mumbled.

Cana raised an eyebrow. "You guess?"

I frowned slightly and then sighed again. "It's nothing. I'm just being stupid. It's just…" I shook my head. "It's nothing."

Cana chuckled. "You can tell me anything, Lucy. So just say whatever you wanna say."

I glanced at her and she waved her hand, indicating me to talk. Taking a deep breath, I then blurted, "Do you know how Gray got his black eye?" Her eyes widened and I looked down, my hands wrapping around my cold drink as I mumbled, "I tried to coax it out of him but he refused to tell me. I know this is none of my business but-"

I stopped talking when I heard Cana chuckle. "Of course it's your business, Lucy. Gray's your boyfriend." I flushed when I watched her sigh. "That idiot just cares too much about you, that's why he didn't tell you."

This time, I felt my entire face burning. I placed my cold hands on my cheeks to try to lessen the heat on them.

"Listen, it's not really my business to tell you, but I'm sure Gray won't mind too much." She shrugged and then took another sip from her drink. "He got in a fight on Wednesday. Apparently the dumbass that harassed you called his buddies and told him what happened between him and Gray. It wasn't a lot of them, though. Three, I think. One of them was Sting Eucliffe," Cana eyed me and my eyes widened. "Apparently he also had some unfinished business with Gray. But that big mouthed idiot started talking too much and the fight got serious. So serious that Loke and Gajeel had to step in and stop them."

My wide eyes stared blankly at the counter, blinking a few times before I muttered, "Sting said something about me, right?"

Cana sighed. "Yeah. But he also said some things about your friend, Yukino."

My mouth fell open then. About Yukino? What… "What did he say?" I whispered, my voice a bit hoarse with anger.

Sighing again, Cana muttered, "Apparently they're seeing each other, but at the same time they aren't." Cana stopped, as if not sure whether or not to continue. "He said they were 'fuck buddies.' So, in short, they have a friends with benefits kind of relationship."

My mouth fell open again, not being able to form words. "But…" I whispered. "That jerk!" I hissed, banging my fists on the counter. Cana's eyes widened, and some customers that had been sitting down the counter turned to stared at us. "Why does he have to go telling others about their relationship!" I shook my head, my cheeks turning red with anger. "And Yukino… She really loves him." I didn't notice the tears gathering in my eyes, but I did feel them as they rolled down my cheeks.

Cana shrugged. "I'm sure she knows what she's gotten herself into. Love can make people do stupid things."

I looked down at my drink, sighing. I was only able to give her a small nod. I understood that all too well. Still, I needed to talk with my friend. I needed to know how she was doing. I wanted her to know that she could trust me.

"Gray got that black eye defending both of you. He really cares about you." Cana chuckled and shook her head.

I raised my head to stare at her and she grinned. "You know," she started, placing her drink down. She then crossed her arms over the counter and stared forward as she said, "When you two started dating, I had been curious. You just didn't seem like Gray's type, you know. I was kinda surprised that he ended up going for someone like you."

I bit down on my lip, trying to hide my offense as I nodded. Cana had seemed to pick up on it, though, hurriedly reassuring me.

"Oh, no. I didn't mean it in a bad way. It was actually a compliment. I think you're good for him." She gave me a small smile and then looked down at the counter. "He needs someone like you. Someone who he'll actually listen to. I thought maybe you could finally talk some sense into that foolish ass." She chuckled, shaking her head before she mumbled, "And you have. He's really changed since the two of you've been going out."

I could feel my cheeks heat up again as I looked down at my drink. He hadn't really been changing for me, it had been for Juvia. But I couldn't say that aloud.

Cana glanced at me and grinned. "You know, the funniest part about you two dating was that you were the type Gray always avoided: the 'good girl.' He never wanted to mess with them, saying they were too good for him. That had been his main reason when he rejected Juvia. 'She deserves better,' he had said." She sighed and shook her head. "That dumbass."

I frowned, but Cana didn't notice. "But with you… I don't know. The two of you just work. More than he and Juvia could have ever." She shrugged and I had to blink when my tears started blinding me. "I'm glad he's finally moved on from Juvia. That relationship wasn't good for either of them."

My eyes widened. She really did know what had happened between them…?

"Did… Do you know what happened between them?" I suddenly asked and she turned to stare at me for a minute before she sighed.

"That really isn't any of my business to tell you, Lucy. Gray should be the one to-"

"He already did." I told her and her eyes widened.

It took her a few seconds before she nodded. "Oh… Good… That's good."

She looked at her drink as she muttered, "I first heard of what was going on between them from Juvia. It was last year. I first noticed she had been glaring at him as he hanged out with other girls. I didn't understand why, so I asked her. I thought they had an argument or something, it never crossed my mind that she had actually been jealous." She laughed. "I mean, she was dating Lyon, so of course I didn't think she'd be jealous of Gray's 'relationships.' She had waved it off, saying it had just been my imagination, so I shrugged it off, guessing it must have been."

She laughed again and shook her head. "Then one day, while we were all hanging out here at Fairy Tail, I noticed them arguing over something. Lyon hadn't been there that day. I heard Gray tell her that they had never been friends, and then left. Juvia had fled to the bathroom, and I followed after her. Everyone had been too busy doing their own thing to notice those two, but I had been keeping a close eye on them."

I bit my bottom lip, nodding as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I asked her what that had been all about and then, she started to sob. I conforted her as much as I could, and then she finally confessed. She told me she had done something horrible. And that's when it hit me, they had been seeing each other. She then confirmed my suspicions when she confessed to sleeping with Gray."

I shifted on my seat, shivers running up and down my back as she told me what had happened.

"I had seen the looks she would give him, when she thought no one had been watching them. I had seen the smiles he would send her way, a side of him I had never seen every time his eyes fell on her. I had seen a lot of things they thought no one had." She sighed. "I feel guilty, you know? Lyon's my friend too. And I'm keeping all of this from him." She frowned, and I did too as I watched her. "Juvia was confused, apparently she had fallen in love with Gray, though she never told him." Cana looked up at me and my frown deepened. I had thought so…

"Gray had asked her to choose, but she couldn't. She would always put Lyon first, and then regret letting Gray go. That drove Gray crazy. But, in a way, it gave him hope. Hope that one day she would end up choosing him. I thought that messed up relationship would go on forever. But then…" She smiled at me and my heart began to thump at a very fast rate. "But then he started going out with you. And that was when I realized this madness was finally over. I hope Juvia has realized that too."

I looked down at my drink, still frowning as I mumbled, "Does Gray know you know?"

Cana nodded. "Yeah, he wasn't too happy about it, though. Apparently, they had sworn that they wouldn't tell anyone. But Juvia still spilled everything to me."

My lips pressed tightly onto a thin line before I muttered, "Does anyone else know?"

Playing with her empty bottle, Cana said, "Yeah, Gajeel also knows. Gray ended up telling him."

I nodded and looked back down at my drink, frowning at it. I glanced up at Cana when I felt her pat my head. "Don't worry, Lucy. That's all in the past. Gray's a different person than he was back then. He really has changed. And it's all because of you." She gave me a huge grin and then said, "Not Juvia. So don't think otherwise. You're the one that changed him for the better."

My eyes widened and then I smiled, rubbing away the tears that had gathered on the corners of my eyes.

"Ara, ara." Mira stopped in front of us, a warm smile on her lips as she appraised us. "What are you two talking about?"

Cana and I exchanged a look before we grinned and shook our heads. "Nothing important." Cana told her and then she wrapped her arm around my shoulders and said, "I'm just telling Lucy that Gray really is a lucky guy." She winked at me and I blushed.

Mira giggled. "Oh, he really is." She smiled at me. "He really loves you."

I stopped then, my entire face blank as I stared at Mira. Love? No… He didn't love _me._

However, neither of them noticed my discomfort over Mira's words, because just seconds after she had spoken, the doors to Fairy Tail bursted open.

Loke had walked in first, a huge grin already on his face as he yelled that he really needed something to drink, a group of girls fawning as they got his attention and he sent them a wink. Gajeel and Romeo were steps behind him, both sighing at the womanizer. Gajeel walked straight to the table they usually sat at, while Romeo turned towards us a sent us a friendly wave before he followed after his scary looking band mate.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Gray come in.

He had looked around the bar, running his hand through his messy black hair as his deep blue eyes looked around the bar, before finally locking onto mine.

I mouthed a "hi" and he grinned at me.

Gray started walking toward me then, looking very handsome in his black t-shirt and black leather jacket. Cana had winked at me, lowering her arm from my shoulders as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, making Mira giggle.

I sighed, rolling my eyes at her before I turned back around to watch Gray only steps away from me. His grin widened when I turned in my seat and greeted him. "Hey."

"Hi Luce," he greeted back. And then, my eyes widened. He had lowered his face and kissed my forehead. My cheeks were a very hot red when he stood up straight again, Cana whistling and Mira giggling beside us.

Gray chuckled and I playfully smacked his stomach, mumbling to him not to do that when there were people around us. He raised an eyebrow, nodding as he stifled a laugh. I glared at him as he said, "You look cute when you're embarrassed." My cheeks only turned a deeper shade of red.

"How was practice?" I asked as he sat at the open seat on my right. He had just ordered something and Mira had rushed off to get it ready. Cana had stood up and walked towards the table the other band members had sat at.

Gray smiled at me and then said, "Good. Same as always. The guys want me to hurry up with the new song I've been writing, but it seems like I've lost all inspiration for it." He sighed and I gave him a small smile.

I couldn't stop staring at his black eye, and unconsciously I began to trace the left side of his face. He flinched at the sudden contact and my eyes widened, realizing what I had been doing and instantly lowered my hands to my lap. "Sorry." I mumbled, flushing in embarrassment.

Gray's wide eyes looked down at the wooden counter and he shook his head. "No, don't apologize." He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, it's just… you took me by surprise, that's all."

My lips curled up into a small smile and I nodded. "Gray?"

He looked up at me, raising an eyebrow before I whispered, "Does it hurt?" I had been asking about his black eye, and he seemed to realize that as he stared at me.

Gray shifted in his seat and shrugged, "A little."

I frowned. I knew why and how he had gotten that black eye. I didn't know whether or not to tell him that I knew. I looked to the side, debating whether or not to say something. Sighing softly, I looked back at Gray and gave him a shy smile. I didn't think twice about it as my slender finger drew patterns on his face. My finger traced delicately across his forehead, tracing the scar he had there, and trailed a spiral languidly down his cheek.

Gray's lips parted, and I could hear his breathing quicken. His wide eyes stared into mine, and I felt my arms tremble. But I didn't stop. I had been too entranced to do so.

I stroke his cheek, my eyes never leaving his.

Without thinking about it, I leaned forward and kissed his left cheek tenderly. A shaky breath left Gray's mouth but I didn't move back.

My eyes closed as I kissed his soft skin, my heart beats thumping at a very fast pace.

"Your eye is like this because of me." I whispered against his cheek. I slowly sat straight again, and I saw his eyes widen. "Because you got angry for me."

He sighed, probably realizing I already knew the whole story as he stated, "It's alright. Sting ended up worse."

I grinned and he chuckled.

"Thank you." I whispered and he nodded.

Mira had then placed Gray's drink down in front of him, winking at us before she quickly turned and left us.

Gray stared at the drink for a while before he muttered, "The night of the band's first concert…" he started and my eyes widened, knowing where this conversation was headed. "You said something… about waiting for me until I was sure of what I wanted… To realize everything I wasn't sure about." My trembling hands fisted on my skirt and I nodded. "Why?" he then questioned and my eyes widened more, if possible.

My heart was beating faster than it had been minutes ago as I stared at him. His deep blue eyes stared deeply into my brown ones, curious as they stared at me.

"I...I" I tried but I couldn't tell him. I couldn't confess. Because if I had, he would have rejected me, and things would have gotten awkward. That wasn't what I wanted. "I just… I just want you to be happy." I whispered, looking away from him as I continued saying, "That's all. I told you, I'll help you be with Juvia, if she's the one that'll make you happy."

Gray stared at me some more, his eyebrows furrowed. He nodded, a small smile taking form on his lips before he said, "Thank you, Luce."

I looked back at him, forcing myself to smile back.

He looked straight into my eyes before he tenderly grabbed my face between his hands and placed his lips to mine. My eyes widened, but then slowly closed. He kissed me slowly, like he was afraid to break me. I could feel my ears grow hot, my eardrums thumping from the heat.

The kiss had been slow, but it hadn't lasted long. It was over soon, before anyone around us even noticed.

Gray had broke the kiss, taking hold of my hand and intertwining our fingers.

I blushed and looked down at my shoes.

I had been falling too fast.

My heart wouldn't settle down. It quickened whenever he was close. But… he wasn't really mine and it had been hurting me too much.

I was scared. Scared of opening my heart again.

But… this time, this time it had been different. It was real, very real. And I couldn't stop it, it even followed me to my dreams.

Smiling as I stared at the bright moon shining outside my bedroom window, I closed the curtains and walked over to my bed. Laying down, I stared up at my ceiling with my smile fading. My cold hand fell over my lips and I traced them, remembering Gray's lips, just hours before, on them.

Sighing, I tucked myself under the covers and went to sleep.

 _If this is love please don't break me._

That had been my last thought before sleep completely took me that night.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Okay… So this chapter took me a while to get done because it ended up going in a different direction than I had originally planed for it. But hopefully you guys liked how it turned out! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter!**

 **To anyone who hasn't figured it out, this story is being told by a future Lucy, one who is older than the seventeen year old being described in the story. Can any of you guess how old this future Lucy is? Just a fun question to see if any of you can guess! This is for my own fun, and I won't post the answer, since it kinda ruins the story (ending), but I will spoil it to whoever gets it right ;) Unless you don't want me to haha.**

 **Songs: Happily Ever After by He is We and Catch me by Demi Lovato**

 **Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Blue**


	8. Chapter 8

We All Have a Story to Tell

Chapter 8

 _I'd like to know..._

It had been the first week of December. There were only two weeks left before Winter break. However, I hadn't been excited for Christmas. It wasn't going to be the same. Not without my mother there and my father wasn't going to make the effort to make things better. He never had anyways, so I hadn't been surprised. But still, it hurt.

He had told me he had to go out of town the week of Christmas. Great. Not only was mother not going to be there, but I was going to spend Christmas all by myself.

Sighing, I turned the corner and made my way down the hall and towards my locker. Dropping the books I would need after the lunch break in my hand bag, I closed my locker. Looking up, my eyes widened when I saw Gray walking past me, down the hall and towards the back of the school.

"Gray?" I called, but he didn't look up. He either didn't hear me or he completely ignored me. He had a hard look on his face, one I hadn't seen on him in a long time.

Without thinking, I started following him. I didn't understand why, but I just did. Somehow, I knew something was going on, and I wanted to find out what.

I raised an eyebrow as I watched him walk towards the back exit of the school. Biting my bottom lip, I glanced behind me, making sure no one had noticed either of us, and proceeded to slip out the back door.

Gray had stalked towards the small array of trees across the parking lot. I furrowed my eyebrows as I watched him meet two guys I had never seen before. And then, a particular sent caught my attention. My nose scrunched up in disgust. What was that?

One of the two guys before Gray was holding a joint in between two fingers, making my eyes widen in realization. I watched Gray in disbelief. He was buying drugs?

My mouth fell open when one of the guys handed Gray a bag filled with marijuana, and then proceeded to hand him a lighter and a joint. My hands covered my mouth as I hid behind a tree, my eyes wide in shock.

I was about to turn around and leave, my hands curling up in frustration and anger at Gray's actions, when I felt a hand fall on my shoulder. My eyes widened and I looked up. Bloodshot and unfocused eyes met mine. I shuddered when the guy grinned down at me, his eyes taking me in, and then he bit his lips as he checked out my exposed legs.

I pushed away from him, pulling down my dark blue skirt, my cheeks flushing. I was shaking. Would he try anything? I didn't know. I glanced in Gray's direction- who was completely oblivious about what was happening to me- all too ready to call his name.

"You're pretty cute." The guy muttered then as he took a step toward me and I took a step back.

"I should be getting back. Class is about to start." I whispered, trying to escape but he took hold of my arm before I could even take a step away.

My stomach twisted into knots as I looked back at him, my eyes wide in fear. "Why are you running away? It's not every day that a pretty girl like you comes around here." He smirked, pulling me towards him, pressing his body flush against mine. I was breathing hard then, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Please…" I whispered, my eyes glancing behind him, watching Gray as he continued talking to the two guys before him. "Just let me go, please." I pleaded as steadily as I could, but my shaky voice betrayed me. I squirmed when he smiled down at me, his hand coming up to caress my cheek and my eyes widened in repulsion and fear.

And then I screamed his name, tears blinding me. "Gray!"

The guy before me raised an eyebrow and then I felt someone pull me away from the guy's hold and push me back. I blinked my eyes, my tears rolling down my cheeks. Gray was standing in front of me breathing hard.

"What the fuck were you doing to her?!" He yelled, his eyes blazing in anger.

I crossed my arms over my chest, my legs shaking as the guy smirked my way and then lazily turned back to Gray. "I just wanted to have a good time with her, man. Chill down."

And just as the boy had spilled those words, Gray swung a fist to his face. The boy grunted, stumbling back a little as he yelled, "What the fuck, man?!"

"Don't ever get close to Lucy again!" The venom in Gray's voice even surprised me, and I bit my bottom lip, my eyes lowering to the ground. None of this would have happened if I hadn't been so noisy, if I hadn't followed Gray…

The guy chuckled, his head tilting to where Gray had been minutes before. "Cool it man. It was nothing serious. I didn't know she was your girl."

Gray's face had grown red, and though I had first thought it was from embarrassment, I then realized it was from anger.

"Just get the fuck out of here." He muttered and the guy rolled his eyes and nodded, walking over to the same spot Gray had been at before. Just as he passed by me, he winked and I shivered, my arms tightening around me. He chuckled and finally left Gray and I alone.

Gray sighed, glancing back at me his eyes finally warmed. "Luce… Are you alright?"

I was looking down, feeling very embarrassed by everything that had just happened. I only nodded, not meeting his eyes.

I heard him walk up to me, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. "Come on; look at me." I slowly glanced up at him and as soon as my brown eyes locked on his, I looked down again. It had been very embarrassing.

Gray sighed again. And then he asked the one thing I had been fearing he would. "What are you even doing here?"

My hands curled up into fists as I muttered the truth, not being able to lie to him. "I followed you." I glanced up at him, watching his eyebrows furrow. "I saw you in the hallway and followed you here." I bit my bottom lip before I whispered, "I saw you buying drugs."

His eyes widened then and he took a step away from me. He cleared his throat, shoving his hands inside his pants' front pockets. "Yeah, so?"

My eyes widened. I stared at him in disbelief. He sounded so nonchalant… How could he be so carefree about this? How could he not even be a little ashamed? After all, what he was doing was slowly killing him… How could he be doing that to himself? How could he not care? When there were so many people fighting for their lives everyday, here he was throwing his away.

Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes. "You shouldn't do that…" I whispered. "It's bad for you."

His eyes hardened, and he stared down at the ground. "Whatever I do is none of your business."

My eyes widened as I watched him. Not my… business… That had stabbed. It hurt. Because it was true. I wasn't really his girlfriend. It was none of _my_ business. My hands clenched into fists and my nails digged into the flesh of my palms.

"I know." I whispered, my eyes moving to stare at the floor. "But I still care. Though I shouldn't." My voice broke, my tears blinding me. Gray frowned. "I care about you, you idiot! And I don't want anything to happen to you! So please, don't do stupid things like that!" Tears slid down my cheeks as I watched Gray's eyes widen.

I then turned around and ran away, pushing the double doors leading into the school hallway as I heard Gray call after me, "Luce! Wait!"

I didn't stop. I continued running. My trembling hands rubbed the tears from my cheeks. A couple of people glanced my way as I passed by them in the halls. I didn't mind them, I continued on, not carrying when the bell rung- signifying the start of our next class. I continued running, until finally, I reached the library.

Making my way towards the adventure section of the library, I leaned my back on the shelves, sliding down to the floor. Crossing my arms over my knees, I layed my head over them, blinking my tears away. I was really stupid. Letting my feelings get the best of me. I shouldn't have cared. I shouldn't have gotten into his business. But… I just couldn't let him throw his life away.

That's when I heard someone sit beside me. Our shoulders brushed as he sat down beside me. My eyes widened and I glanced up and saw Gray sitting beside me, his eyes closed as he leaned his head on the shelf behind us.

"Sorry for being such a jerk." He whispered with his eyes still closed and I frowned and shrugged. "It's fine." I whispered.

He then opened his eyes and our eyes locked. "No, it's not."

I blinked up at him and he sighed. "I'm just not used to someone caring…" He stopped himself and sighed again as he closed his eyes. I bit my bottom lip and scooted closer to him.

"I care about you, Gray. A lot. That's why I don't want you doing drugs." My eyes lowered. "There's so many possible side effects to such reckless behavior. Such things have the potential to cause permanent brain damage and even death." My voice broke with that last sentence. I really couldn't lose someone dear to me. Not again. Just thinking about losing Gray, made me dizzy and nauseous.

I looked up, cheeks flushed a dark red as I met Gray's blank gaze. My heart was thumping madly in my chest as his deep blue eyes locked on mine. And then, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. I blinked up at him.

"What?" I asked, but he didn't answer, his smile only widened and he shook his head. I narrowed my eyes at him and pouted as I looked to the side. "This is serious, Gray!"

"I know." Gray finally said, though the smile on his face stayed put.

I stared at him with raised eyebrows and then I grumbled. "Well, it sure doesn't seem like it. Because this is really serious, Gray. And you seem to just brush it off as if it's not an issue of importance." I narrowed my eyes then. "Which it is."

Gray shook his head, looking down for a second before he looked back at me. "I know, I know, Luce. It's just… no one's ever really cared enough to ask me to stop before. You're the first, Luce." He chuckled, grinning as he stared at me. "It made me happy." His hands then framed my face and he lowered his face to mine, resting his forehead on mine. "Thank you."

Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes and I reached for one of his hands on my face, linking out fingers tightly. I sniffed then, feeling a knot form on my throat. How could have no one ever cared…? My hand gripped his and I closed my eyes as I whispered, "I'm happy that you're happy."

He chuckled and I joined in after a few seconds.

We didn't go to class that day, instead we stayed in the library, talking and laughing, our hands linked the entire time.

And when the bell indicating the start of our lunch break rung, Gray helped me stand up.

Before he could pull me out of the library, I stopped, my hand tightening around his. "Promise me something." I whispered and he raised an eyebrow.

"Promise me that you'll try to stop doing drugs." I had been blushing at my words, looking down before I felt his fingers on my chin, moving my head up to look at him.

He smiled, bending down to take my lips in his. The kiss was short but had been enough to make my knees weak. When the kiss ended, he whispered against my lips, "I promise, Luce."

I grinned, my cheeks flushed as I reached for his lips again, standing on my tiptoes to lock my lips with his. He had chuckled into the kiss and my cheeks felt like they'd light on fire, but I didn't care, I had been too happy to over think my actions.

As we walked towards the dining hall, I finally questioned, "How did you know where I'd go to?"

He smirked down at me and I furrowed my eyebrows. "It was pretty easy, actually. You love going to the library. So I guessed you'd go there instead of to class. You'd been crying after all." He frowned at that and I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He smiled down at me. "And adventure books are your favorite, right?" My cheeks dusted a light pink color as I nodded and he grinned. "So that's how I knew I'd find you there."

We soon reached the table we usually sat at, and noticed Cana, Levy and Gajeel sitting there already. I sat down beside Cana as Gray left to get us something for lunch, spotting Loke and Romeo on the line and heading their way. He kissed the top of my head before he left, whispering that he'd be back and I blushed a dark red when Cana wiggled her eyebrows at me and Levy squealed. Gray only chuckled and then finally, walked off towards his bandmates and friends.

After squealing some more after Gray had walked off, Levy asked me how we were doing and after I had simply answered that we were find, Levy pouted and then glanced over to Gajeel, who was nonchalantly eating some chips. She then sighed and said she'd call me later so I could spill all the "juicy" details. I rolled my eyes and Cana laughed.

Levy then stood up to get something to drink, offering to bring us all something as well.

When Levy was finally out of earshot, Gajeel dropped his bag of chips and grinned over at me, making my eyebrows furrow. "W-what?" I stuttered and Gajeel's grin widened.

"You know, that fucker is head over heels in love with you." My eyes widened, and if I had been drinking something, I'd surely spit it out right on his face.

Gajeel laughed loudly at my reaction, my mouth opening and closing as I tried to say something, so I only ended up repeating my previous question, "W-what?!"

Cana shook her head, smirking as Gajeel crossed his arms over the table and nodded. "Yep, he's madly in love, even if he hasn't realized it himself. He's kinda thick headed, ya know?" He seemed to be very amused by my reddening face. My heart had felt like it'd jump out of my chest any second. "Though at first I hadn't accepted your relationship cause I knew he still had feelings for Juvia and I kinda felt like he was using you, I now realized that he's serious. And that's something new. 'Cause Fullbuster has never been serious."

I frowned. Gajeel had been right, he had been using me in a way to get Juvia- still was. I sighed and looked down. With that though clouding my mind, I tried to disregard his other thoughts on Gray's 'feelings' for me. But it had been hard to do so.

Cana nodded at Gajeel's words, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and making my wide eyes meet her grinning face. "He's different when he's around you, Lucy. We all don't really know what it is. But… he's calmer and he talks more. We had to force him to talk before. Now, all he talks about is you. Isn't that awesome?" She smirked down at me and my mouth dropped open.

"It's not because of me…" I tried mumbling but Cana rolled her eyes. "Of course it is!"

Gajeel emptied his bag of chips into his mouth, munching on them loudly as he watched us. He then grinned, "Gray has never been this chatty about a girl before, not even about Juvia. So it's pretty fucking obvious he's crazy about you, bunny girl."

I was biting down on my lip painfully, my hands shaking as I curled them over my skirt. But before any of us could say anything else, Levy and Yukino joined us. And with that, Gajeel and Cana dropped our previous conversation.

But I couldn't stop thinking about it. Could it be? Could he be feeling the same thing I felt for him? I hadn't know.

I smiled as I stared down at the table. Maybe… maybe there was a possibility that he was. And suddenly, I had a new sense of hope.

* * *

It was that Friday that Gray's had a concert at Fairy Tail. Yukino, Cana, Levy and I had all been standing front row enjoying their music when Loke announced, "This next song is a new one! It's actually written by our lead singer, Gray!"

My eyes watched as he grinned, the crowd around me erupting in cheers as the boys started to play their new song.

Gray's eyes locked on mine for a second before he closed them and began to sing. And my heart seemed to stop as soon as he did.

 _I come over_

 _Quarter past two_

 _Love in my eyes_

 _Blinded by you_

 _Just to get a taste of heaven_

 _I'm on my knees_

My wide eyes watched as he held onto his mic, eyes still closed as he sang. I stood frozen in my spot before him. Levy sang along to the lyrics, screaming to me with a big grin that she loved the song. I forced myself to smile back, nodding. It was a good song, and I had liked it. But… it was about _her_.

 _I can't help it_

 _I'm addicted_

 _But I can't stand the pain inflicted_

 _In the morning, you're not holding on to me_

Yukino reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze. I frowned a little as my eyes locked with hers and her eyes lowered, frowning as well. I bit my bottom lip as I looked back up at Gray and then, he finally opened his eyes. Deep blue eyes searched the crowd, but they hadn't been looking for me. They stopped once they found a certain blue haired girl that had been standing a few rows behind me. I looked back, my frown deepening when I saw Juvia standing there by herself.

 _Tell me what's the point of doing this every night_

 _What you're giving me is nothing but a heartless lullaby_

 _Gonna kill my dreams, oh_

 _This is the last time_

 _Baby make up your mind_

Cana sighed beside me, and I glanced at her, noticing that she too, had been staring back at Juvia. "She just doesn't know when to quit it." She muttered and I pursed my lips as I watched Juvia rub her cheeks.

' _Cause I can't keep sleeping in your bed if you keep messing with my head_

 _Before I slip under your sheets_

 _Can you give me something, please?_

 _I can't keep touching you like this_

 _If it's just temporary bliss_

 _Just temporary bliss_

I stared at Gray then, his eyes closing again as he continued the song. I smiled then. The song was good, and though the meaning behind the lyrics stung a little, I had enjoyed it. Because his voice was that great. It was beautiful. He was beautiful. Standing there, doing what he loved, was something I very much enjoyed watching.

Gajeel and Loke would join him as he sang; Gajeel's beats would grow louder then and now as he pushed the tempo a bit. Romeo and Loke joining in as well as Romeo joined in the chorus of the song, with Loke and Gajeel backing them up in certain parts.

Even from a distance, I could see the emotion in Gray's deep blue eyes. He'd open them every now and then, and when he did, my breath caught in my throat and I lost the ability to move. His eyes locked on mine just before the song ended, and he didn't look away after that. I felt my arms and legs shake. He smiled then, just before he sang the last note of the song he had written for Juvia, and his deep blue eyes shined in the spotlight, making my heart skip a beat.

My chest tightened as I watched him and it became even more difficult to breath. And at that moment, I hadn't known whether I wanted to laugh or cry. Laugh because he was staring only at me and it was making me extremely happy or cry because he was singing a song to another girl- a girl who he loved. And that girl was most definitely not me.

Everything had been soft and warm and loud and very scary and absolutely wonderful at the same time and the only thing I had known at the moment was that it was all because of him. It was all because of Gray. He was making me feel all these different emotions, things I had never felt before for anyone else.

And so, when he finally sang the last note of his song, I grinned up at him and his grin widened, winking down at me. My knees shook then and my hands trembled as they came up to cover my silly grin.

 _I can't keep sleeping in your bed_

 _If you keep messing with my head_

 _I can't keep feeling love like this_

 _It's not worth temporary bliss_

The song ended and the crowd was only silent for a second before they exploded into a joyous roar of cheers and applause. Loke threw his guitar around his back and winked down at a few girls that were screaming his name, Gajeel rolling his eyes at the womanizer while Romeo laughed as he watched Loke hand the girls a card with his number on it.

Gray's eyes had been focused on me and only me even after the song had ended. I gulped. Why was he looking at me? I hadn't known, but his carefree smile had been making it hard for me not to smile back.

"Can we hear it again for Gray's new song?!" Loke had yelled into his microphone, prompting the crowd to erupt in cheers again. Gray finally broke his gaze from mine as he turned over to a grinning Loke and playfully shoved him away, chuckling as he did.

"Thanks everybody!" Gray smiled down as the crowd started cheering again, and he tried to quiet them down the best he could. "Thanks so much for coming out tonight!"

Loke then spoke up again, yelling into his mic, "Please remember that all gifts of adoration including flowers, chocolates, and phone numbers should be thrown in my direction! Gray and the piercing freak are both taken and Romeo is too young for some of you!" He winked and a chorus of female voices cheered while another made their displeasure known.

I glanced down as soon as Loke had said that, watching Levy blush a deep red. I grinned. "He's taken, huh?"

She blushed a deep red, stuttering, "H-how should I know?!"

I laughed. "Oh come on, Levy-chan! We both know he has a huge crush on you!"

She frowned and looked down as she whispered, "I really don't know. That hard headed idiot is too stubborn to admit it!" She glared up at the stage, where Gajeel was yelling at Loke for saying too much, like always. "If he does, I'll never know!"

Cana snorted. "Yeah, if I was you, I'd sit down. That idiot is gonna take a while. He's real stubborn."

Levy sighed loudly and crossed her thin arms over her chest, frowning down at the floor. I gave her a sympathetic smile while Yukino slinged an arm around her and invited her a drink, dragging her towards the bar counter as Levy huffed and yelled that Gajeel was a big idiot, making plenty of people turn around and stare at her. I laughed as I watched her. She really liked him. I shook my head. Opposites really did attract.

The lights soon came back on as the guys disappeared through a door behind the drum set, well three of the guys did. Gray stayed on the stage, looking over the room. At first I had thought he'd been looking for Juvia, but then his eyes met mine. He jumped down from the stage and made a beeline towards me through the dispersing crowd.

I was shaking all while he did that. Cana laughed beside me, yelling as she walked off after Yukino and Levy, "I'll give you two love birds some alone time!" She winked and I blushed a deep red.

Gray had reached me soon after, grabbing my face between his hands before I could even utter a word, and attacking me with his lips, causing me to take a step back. He was hot, sweaty, and tasted like beer, but I had loved every second of it. His hand slid down my body, an arm closing around my waist and he pulled me forcefully to him, eliminating the air between us.

He pulled back and leaned his forehead against mine, trying to catch his breath as his eyes locked on mine. "Hey." He whispered and I smiled, my arms wrapping around his neck. "Hi." I whispered back.

Gray had opened his mouth then, as if he was about to tell me something, but then he quickly closed it. His eyes left mine and I raised an eyebrow as I watched his eyes follow something- or more precisely- someone behind me. I looked back, following his gaze until finally I saw her. Juvia was walking towards the back room. She stopped then, glancing back over her shoulders. Her eyes locked on Gray's and then she moved her gaze to me. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes red as she looked down and turned back around, continuing on her way.

Pulling away from me, Gray looked down. He frowned as he whispered, "I'll be right back. I need to do something."

My heart fell as I dropped my arms from around his neck. "Gray…" I whispered, my throat suddenly dry.

He gave me a forced smile, "Don't worry, Luce. I just… I need to do this." I frowned and he tucked a stray hair behind my ear and then leaned down to kiss my forehead, his lips lingering there for a few seconds. "Wait for me by the bar counter. I'll only be gone a few minutes."

I watched him walk off towards the back room, where I was sure Juvia was waiting for him. I bit my bottom lip as I glanced towards the bar counter, where my friends were all at. I then glanced towards the back room. Curiosity had gotten the best of me that night. It had just been too strong. I needed to know what they would be talking about. Or what they'd be doing.

My chest hurt just thinking that maybe Juvia would tell Gray that she wanted him. That she finally wanted him and only him. Gray probably would be ecstatic. But me… I don't think I could handle ever seeing him with someone else. I couldn't picture him kissing another girl like he kissed me. I wanted him. I wanted him and wanted him to want me, too. And just me.

I tiptoed down the hallway that lead towards the back room. Gray and Juvia had been nowhere in sight by then. For a second, I had began to chide myself for being stupid enough to follow them. Whatever was going on in that room would surely hurt me. It had been painful just imagining what could happen between them in there. But I couldn't convince myself to turn around and go to the bar counter. My mind told me they must be getting together, that she must be telling him that she loved him back and I knew I'd never be able to focus on anything else if I didn't know for sure.

The door to the backroom had been ajar and I pressed my back to the wall. I couldn't see either of them without poking my head inside but their voices drifted out through the crack.

"You made your choice, remember? Lyon. We ended… this." Gray was saying. "You had no feelings for me. Back then, when I fucking spilled all my feelings for you, you rejected me, saying that our relationship wasn't like that… You didn't want to be with me, but now you don't want anyone else to be with me either, right?" He paused then and my eyes widened at his words. "What do you want, Juvia? Do you want me to be alone forever? Is that what you want?" His voice broke then and I swallowed. He was angry, very angry.

Juvia sighed, frustrated. "That's not… That's not it." She whispered. "I just… I feel like you're using Lucy to get back at me." She stopped then and so had my heart. I took in a shaky breath, my lips trembling. He had. That's exactly what he had been doing. "I don't know… I may be wrong. But… I just have this feeling that you're trying to hurt me, like I hurt you. All those songs you've been writing about me, they've been proof enough."

Gray snorted. They stayed quiet for a few seconds before Juvia questioned, "Are you trying to get back at me? Is that why you're with Lucy?"

I held my breath as I heard him say, "No." My hands curled up by my sides at his answer. He was lying, I kept repeating that to myself in my head. But… a part of me stayed hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, he hadn't been lying.

"You're not trying to purposely hurt me?" Juvia questioned again, as if not believing his previous answer.

"No." Gray answered once again.

Juvia sighed in frustration. "I don't believe you. I don't get why you're dating Lucy, and for this long, if it's not to get back at me!"

Gray groaned. "Not everything is about you, Juvia!"

"You never showed interest in Lucy before! So why should I believe that all of a sudden you have feelings for her and you're finally in a committed relationship?! With _her_ of all people!" Juvia yelled.

"What does it matter to you? Me being with her is none of your business. Who I fall for or who I'm with is none of your concern, remember? You didn't want me. You chose him. So what do you care if I'm with Lucy?"

"Because you're mine!" Juvia suddenly yelled and my eyes widened, my hands covering my mouth.

The silence after that was deafening.

And then, finally, Gray yelled back, "No, I'm not! Juvia, you chose Lyon! He's fucking yours, not me! You've made that fucking clear more than once!"

"Is that why you're with Lucy?! To prove that to me? To prove that you're not mine?!" Juvia's voice cracked in anger.

Gray sighed then. "No… Maybe it was like that at the beginning, but not anymore." He stopped, taking a deep breath before he whispered, "I'm not yours, Juvia. Not anymore."

My chest tightened and it had become difficult to breathe.

"W-what?" Juvia's voice cracked and I could tell she was in the brink of tears.

Chuckling, Gray answered, "Yeah. I used to think it'd always be you. Just you. That I wouldn't be able to want someone as much as I wanted you. That I wouldn't be able to care for another girl as much as I care about you. But… then she came along. And she's changed everything. And I can't stop thinking about her. I'm crazy about Lucy."

My knees were shaking and my hands still covering my mouth began to shake. I slid down to the floor, my eyes wide in shock. He was… crazy about me? My heart was beating very loudly in my chest, and my ears were thumping in both excitement and terror. Tears slid down my cheeks, had he really just said that? My hands curled up into fists and slide down to my sides, and I bit down on my lower lip. I really hoped I hadn't imagined that. Grinning up at the ceiling, I took in a deep breath trying to contain my giggles. I had been the happiest girl in that very moment.

"Do you love her?" Juvia shaking voice took me out of my reverie and I held my breath as I awaited Gray's answer.

"I don't know." Gray answered and my heart thumped loudly in my chest, my cheeks flushing at his next words, "I like her. I don't know about love, but I definitely like her. A lot."

"Do you care about her more than you care about me?" Juvia had suddenly questioned and I frowned as I stared down at my lap. I had feared his answer. Because, deep down I knew he still didn't care about me as much as he cared about her.

Gray laughed. "You would ask that." He then muttered, "I love you, Juvia. But you're not mine and you'll never be."

"I love you too, Gray." Juvia sniffed, probably trying to contain her tears. "I'm yours Gray." My hands shook by my sides at her words and I sucked in a nervous breath. That's what Gray had wanted from the beginning. This is why we had pretended to date. This is what he wanted. And he now had it. He had her. She loved him. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I was about to stand up and leave but Gray's voice stopped me.

Sighing in frustration, Gray said, "You need to stop lying to yourself, Juvia." He stopped and then whispered. "And to me."

"You should be with Lyon." Gray told her and Juvia made a sound of protest but he stopped her, asking, "You love him, right?"

They both fell silent after that, until Juvia whispered, "Yes."

Gray sighed, whispering, "Then there's your answer. Let's finally end this, Juvia. For Lyon."

"Gray…" Juvia whispered but he didn't answer. That's when I heard footsteps approaching the door and I saw his hand clutch the knob. My eyes widened in fright and I scrambled to get on my feet as quickly and as quietly as I could, beginning to escape down the hall.

I ran as fast as I could down the hall, glancing back to make sure Gray hadn't caught me. Just as I had been turning back around, I crashed into someone. Strong arms snapped around my waist before I hit the floor, and my eyes glanced up in surprise.

"I'm so sorry!" I apologized, finally looking up to see who I'd crashed into. I blinked when I found a very familiar face staring down at me. It took me a few seconds to remember exactly how I knew this guy. My eyes widened in realization once I remembered meeting him at one of Gray's concerts. He was the guy I had spilled his beer on him. I flushed at the memory.

Hibiki grinned down at me and said, "Is this going to be the way we'll always greet each other?" He mocked and I looked down in embarrassment. I shook my head, and whispered, "I really hope not." He chuckled while he steadied me.

I blushed a little as I glanced up at him and said, "Sorry about bumping into you like that."

The older boy waved my apology and instead asked, "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" I raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. It hadn't been that long since we had first met. "How'd you been?"

Remembering Gray's words from before, I smiled down at the floor and whispered, "Pretty great, actually."

Hibiki raised an eyebrow but didn't ask for an elaboration, he only smiled down at me. Before he could ask anything else, however, an arm wrapped protectively around me. I looked up in surprise, my eyes locking with Gray's deep blue eyes.

"Who's this, Luce?" He asked, his eyes leaving mine to stare at Hibiki.

I smiled a little when I saw Gray give Hibiki a hard look. Was he jealous? I almost rolled my eyes. Probably not, but I still felt butterflies in my stomach as I watched him and finally answered, "This is Hibiki." I glanced at the older boy- who had been smiling- and continued, "I met him at one of your concerts a while back."

Hibiki nodded, saying, "That's right." He then caught my gaze and smirked. "You could say we're friends."

Gray raised an eyebrow as he stared at him, looking back down at me in question. I only nodded.

Watching us, Hibiki then cleared his throat, "I should be going now. Don't want my friends to kill me for making them wait. I'll see you around, Lucy?"

I smiled and nodded and he returned the smile before he turned and left us.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Gray watched Hibiki walk away and then looked down at me, grinning, "Let's get something to drink."

I bit my bottom lip as he grabbed my hand. But before he could pull me towards the bar counter I called, "Gray?"

He looked back at me over his shoulder, eyebrows cocked in question.

"Can we talk?" His eyebrows furrowed and then I whispered, "Outside?"

Gray stared at me for a few seconds, his eyes searching mine before he nodded.

I pulled him out the double doors, a couple of people trying to stop Gray on our way, but he waved them all away. I could feel my hands shake when the doors shut behind us, all the sounds coming from inside ceasing.

Dropping Gray's hand, I played with my blonde hair that was tied up in my usual side ponytail. I had been looking around the lot, focusing on anything except him. I had been nervous. Very nervous. Because I was about to do the one thing I had been fearing he'd do. I was about to end this. Because I liked him and he did too, apparently. And I didn't want to continue this farze. I wanted it to be real.

"Luce?" Gray finally whispered and I finally looked up at him.

My heart thudded against my chest. His eyes widened as soon as I whispered, "Do you really love Juvia?"

He eyed me for a few seconds before he swallowed and looked down. "Why are you asking me this?" He then sighed, shoving his hands in his pants' front pockets. "Where is this coming from, Luce?"

"Just answer the question Gray." I whispered, my eyes locking on his.

His eyes searching mine, he answered, "I did." My eyes widened and my heart hammered in my chest as I watched him shrug. "It's just… My feelings for her are not what they were a few months ago." His eyes locked on mine. "They've changed… I've changed."

My wide eyes searched his, my arms shaking as I crossed them over my chest and whispered, "Really?" When he only nodded, I then took a step closer to him, squeezing the strap of my hand bag for courage as I questioned, "Why her?" I sucked in a breath. "Why did you fall for her?"

His eyes widened and he rubbed the back of his neck at my question and I bit my bottom lip and looked away. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Y-you don't have to answer that! Sorry for asking!"

My breath caught when he smiled and shrugged as he looked up at the star filled night. When his gaze locked on mine again, he cocked his head to the side as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It was her and Lyon… their relationship. I had wanted something like that. I had felt so alone… I felt like I didn't have anyone who cared about me. So… when I saw them, I just wanted someone that loved me as much as Juvia loves Lyon."

He frowned. "I've always…" He sucked in a breath. "I've always felt alone, like I had no one that cared about me. When I was younger, I just kept to myself, trying to convince myself that I didn't need anybody. Music had seemed to be enough for me back then. My guitar… that had been my closest relationship." He chuckled and shook his head. "Kinda pathetic, huh?"

I shook my head, a knot forming on my throat as I walked up to him and squeezed his hand. "No…" I whispered, my right hand cupping his cheek as my brown eyes caught his. "It's not pathetic, not at all."

He shrugged. "I think it was." He muttered. "I closed myself to everyone that tried to get close to me. That's why, back in middle school- when Juvia had been all over me- I ignored her and pushed her away, repeatedly telling her that I didn't like her. Though, a part of me had fallen for her. But I still pushed her away and rejected her every time she confessed to me. I was lonely. I felt alone, because I was. I closed myself so much and pushed everyone away, I was causing my own misery." He shook his head. "Going out with so many girls was my way of finding the comfort and love I craved so much."

Grinning, he shook his head, reaching out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I felt wanted. I felt like they cared." He sighed. "But none of them ever did. I was just some pretty face that they really wanted to get to bed. I was definitely not boyfriend material." He shrugged. "I mean, I had such a bad reputation… that I never blamed them." He looked away from me and I frowned. "Having that connection… I mean, just having someone there… it just made everything feel better. Like I wasn't as lonely. I don't know…"

He half-smiled sadly down to the floor. "My mother died when I was only nine and my father had left me, deciding he couldn't take care of me, not without her." His hands shook and I held tightly to them. "I just… I felt like I'd never be loved by anyone. My father had abandoned me and… I felt like anybody who I'd let into my life would also abandon me, just like he had."

My eyes watered and I whispered, "Gray…" He looked back at me with a sad smile and ran his thumb down my cheek. The pain in his eyes made my heart ache and not knowing what to say to make him feel better, I instead leaned in and kissed him. It was short but he had smiled into it, making my cheeks warm in color.

"With Juvia… It was more about her relationship with Lyon. I wanted what they had. Pretty messed up, huh?" I frowned and he sighed. "I wanted something real, not just some hookup. I wanted to know… I wanted to fall in love. And watching them everyday, it just made me want it more. And then, I realized I had started to care for Juvia. We were just friends then, but I cared about her. Then one day, I realized I had actually fallen for her."

His shoulders slumped. "I messed up. I fucking messed up. She was Lyon's girl. I couldn't ever do that to him. But I loved her. I knew it was wrong to love her, but I just couldn't help it. So when she came for comfort when he cheated, I just couldn't stop myself. I did the one thing I knew would make Lyon hate me forever. But… I still continued with our messed up relationship. Because… a part of me thought that she cared about me too."

Gray shrugged. "And that's all that mattered to me. Until she'd end up going back to him. She always chose him. Because she loved him. She didn't love me... I was just the guy she used when she and Lyon were fighting. She had just been using me… While I had actually fallen hard for her. I loved her and I was hurting. That's why I asked her to choose. And she chose Lyon. And that's when I got that messed up and very cruel idea. I thought that making her see me with some other girl in a serious relationship would make her jealous."

He grinned down at me and I looked down and frowned. "And it did. She claims to want me now… But even if it's true, I don't care anymore." He reached for my face and made me look up at him, smiling he whispered. "I don't care anymore because I now have you, Luce."

My eyes widened, my mouth falling open as I tried to come up with something to say. But I couldn't. I had just stayed quiet, mouth still wide open as I stared up at him. His expression softened as his eyes gazed into mine adoringly.

I closed my eyes as I felt the night air blow softly around us. My heart was beating loudly in my chest and I felt my arms and legs tremble. He liked me. I knew that much. He felt something for me, just as I had felt something for him.

Opening my eyes, I found Gray's deep blue eyes locked on me. I smiled, stroking his cheek I took a step closer to him, wanting to kiss him very badly, but I stopped myself. I swallowed roughly before I could speak. I was nervous. Very nervous. And I was about to do something I hadn't wanted to do.

"I'm sorry, Gray." I whispered, my eyes watered when I saw his eyebrows furrow in question. Had that been fear in his eyes? I swallowed again, looking down as my ears thumped and my cheeks flushed red. "I can't continue doing this, even though I promised I would."

A single tear rolled down my cheek. "I care about you, Gray. I care about you so much." I couldn't stop the tears then. I was sobbing. I was sobbing because of what he had just opened up to me about. Because I wanted to make him happy. Because I wanted to fall for him without worrying about getting hurt again. Because I wanted to be the girl he'd let fight alongside him all his past demons.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly, and I cried into his shoulder. "Luce?" He whispered into my ear, making me shiver in his arms.

"Let's end this farze, Gray." I muttered in between sniffs and cries. Gray's arms stiffened and he pulled back, his eyes wide. I looked down. "I'll help you in any other way I can. Just not like this."

"Why?" He cracked and I rubbed the tears from my cheeks, biting my lower lip as I contemplated telling him that I was falling for him, and I was scared. Scared of getting hurt again. Scared of losing him. Scared of these feelings.

And then the words just spilled out of my mouth, "Because I really like you." I had finally confessed. My watery eyes stared down at the pavement as I tried to swallow away the hard knot in my throat.

My face heat up then, barely realizing what I had confessed. I had just been about to turn on my heels and run away when I felt Gray's hand hold onto mine, stopping me.

Looking back at him with wide eyes, I saw him grin. "Go out with me."

I blinked my tears away, not sure if my mind had been playing tricks on me. "W-what?" I stuttered.

Gray's grin widened. "Go out with me, Luce." He repeated, cupping my face in his hands. "For real this time."

His gaze never left my face as my mouth opened and closed, stuttering, "I-I don't get it… Y-you want to go out with _me_?"

He chuckled and nodded. My cheeks flushed. I stayed there, just staring at him with wide eyes, for a few more seconds.

Nervously rubbing the back of his neck, Gray cleared his throat, "So…?"

I blinked my eyes, my face suddenly becoming warmer, "Oh! Right! I… uhm…" Rubbing my arms I glanced his way and then quickly looked down. Heart thumping madly in my chest and cheeks burning I answered a simple, "Okay." I smiled at him, making him grin widely at me. "I'd love to go out with you, Gray. For real."

Gray didn't say anything after that, instead he took my lips in his, kissing me deeply and fiercely. I smiled into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck, I leaned in.

It had been then, while we kissed under the moonlight, that I'd realized that maybe, just maybe, I could finally trust this. I could finally stop fearing falling for him.

Maybe I did believe in love, after all.

But… What about happy endings? Did I believe they existed? I would have to just wait and see.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Hey everyone! Oh my God it's been forever since I last updated this story! Almost five months! I could give you all a million excuses as to why I didn't update, but the most honest reason is simply just 'cause I had huge writer's block! I just couldn't seem to get this chapter done, even though I knew exactly where I wanted it to go. As of right now I have every chapter planned out, it's just a matter of me sitting down and actually getting them done before I have this story completed. I think it's going to be 20 chapters long, but I'm still not too sure, so no promises lol.**

 **Thank you so much to ZoeNarutoFairy, jdcocoagirl, Kim, taboadayvonne, Mystic Stars, and all the Guest reviewers for reviewing the last chapter! It really means a lot to me ;)**

 **Thank you for reading. I really hope you enjoyed the chapter! And please don't forget to R &R! **

**Until next chapter! :)**

 **Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima!**

 **Songs: Happily Ever After by He is We and Temporary Bliss by The Cab**

 **~ Blue ~**


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